Apple OS Kernel OOB Write (iOS 18.7.9/iPadOS 18.7.9, macOS 15.7.7)
CVE-2026-28972 Published on May 11, 2026
An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved input validation. 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 or write kernel memory.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-28972 is exploitable with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality, with no impact on integrity and availability.
Weakness Type
What is a Memory Corruption Vulnerability?
The software writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. Typically, this can result in corruption of data, a crash, or code execution. The software may modify an index or perform pointer arithmetic that references a memory location that is outside of the boundaries of the buffer. A subsequent write operation then produces undefined or unexpected results.
CVE-2026-28972 has been classified to as a Memory Corruption vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-28972
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Affected Versions
Apple iOS and iPadOS:- Before 18.7.9 is affected.
- Before 26.5 is affected.
- Before 14.8.7 is affected.
- Before 15.7.7 is affected.
- Before 26.5 is affected.
- Before 26.5 is affected.
- Before 26.5 is affected.
- Before 26.5 is affected.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.