Exploited Hunt for compromise (CISA)

CVE-2026-86950

Apple iOS / iPadOS / macOS · Phones, tablets and chipsets

Apple Multiple Products Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability

At a glance

Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on September 29, 2026.

CISA asks you to hunt for signs of compromise: patching is not enough if the device has already been breached.

Affected product: Apple iOS / iPadOS / macOS (category Phones, tablets and chipsets, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: Apple Multiple Products.

What should I do?

Apply the patches or mitigations from Apple; if none are available, stop using the product. Start with internet-facing devices.

CISA also asks you to hunt for signs of compromise: patching is not enough if the device has already been breached.

Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 3 days (due October 2, 2026). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.

Apple security advisories page (general page, not the advisory for this vulnerability)
The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2026-86950 on the NVD website.

Original text of the required action (CISA)

Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA's BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA's "Forensics Triage Requirements" (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.

Timeline

September 28, 2026 Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
September 29, 2026 Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
October 2, 2026 CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies

The facts, with their sources

Exploitation confirmed: Yes, on September 29, 2026 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
Ransomware: No known use to date That does not guarantee it is not being used: the information is not public. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
Hunt for compromise: Requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
CISA required action: Apply the patches or mitigations from Apple; if none are available, stop using the product. Start with internet-facing devices. Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
CISA deadline: October 2, 2026, 3 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
Vulnerability published: September 28, 2026 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Product according to CISA: Apple Multiple Products Filed by this site under “Phones, tablets and chipsets” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC

Severity and activity

8.8 / 10 CVSS severity: high

Score from the vendor or CISA, relayed by the NVD. Collected Sep 29, 2026.

— Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS)

FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.

Description

An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1, macOS Sequoia 15.8.1, macOS Tahoe 26.7.1. Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 27.

Apple iOS, macOS, and iPadOS contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in CoreGraphics that may lead to arbitrary code execution.

Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).

CERT-FR advisories

CERTFR-2026-AVI-1236: Vulnérabilité dans les produits Apple (updated September 29, 2026)

Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.

Sources for this page

CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).