CVE-2026-28959

Buffer Overflow in Apple Operating Systems Causes Unexpected Termination

Published May 11, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
A buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.9 and iPadOS 18.7.9, iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, macOS Tahoe 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.

Analysis

AI-generated

Technical impact

A buffer overflow flaw was discovered in several Apple operating systems. The vulnerability arises from insufficient bounds checking, allowing an application to supply crafted data that overflows a buffer and causes the OS to terminate unexpectedly. The flaw is classified as CWE‑120 and results in a denial‑of‑service condition; it does not provide code execution or privilege escalation capabilities.

Affected Systems

Apple iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 18.7.9 or 26.5, macOS Sequoia older than 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma older than 14.8.7, macOS Tahoe before 26.5, and the corresponding earlier releases of tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS are affected. The issue was fixed in the OS updates listed in the description.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.5 indicates a high‑severity denial‑of‑service vulnerability, yet the EPSS score is below 1 % and the flaw is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, suggesting a low likelihood of active exploitation. Based on the description, the likely attack vector is a malicious or improperly behaved application that supplies crafted input to the vulnerable component. No public exploits have been reported, so the current risk remains moderate until an exploit is discovered or the attack surface changes.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Install the latest OS updates that contain the bounds‑checking fix, specifically iOS 18.7.9, iPadOS 18.7.9, macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, macOS Tahoe 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, and watchOS 26.5.
  • Restrict the installation of third‑party applications that could submit arbitrary data to system components, and remove any that are known to expose the vulnerability.
  • Monitor device stability by reviewing crash logs; if unexpected termination occurs, report the incident to Apple support for investigation.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on May 12, 2026 at 23:50 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Apple ipados
Apple iphone Os
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:apple:ipados:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:tvos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:visionos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:watchos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Apple ipados
Apple iphone Os
Type Values Removed Values Added
Title Buffer Overflow in Apple Operating Systems Causes Unexpected Termination
Type Values Removed Values Added
Title Buffer Overflow Causing Unexpected System Termination in Apple Operating Systems
Weaknesses CWE-119
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-120
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Title Buffer Overflow Causing Unexpected System Termination in Apple Operating Systems
Weaknesses CWE-119
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Apple
Apple ios And Ipados
Apple macos
Apple tvos
Apple visionos
Apple watchos
Vendors & Products Apple
Apple ios And Ipados
Apple macos
Apple tvos
Apple visionos
Apple watchos
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.9 and iPadOS 18.7.9, iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, macOS Tahoe 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.
References
Weaknesses
  • CWE-120

    Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow')

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
apple
Published
Updated
May 12, 2026, 7:53 PM
Reserved
Mar 3, 2026, 4:36 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
May 11, 2026, 9:18 PM
Modified
Oct 26, 2026, 6:10 PM