CVE-2019-7286 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability affecting Apple iOS and macOS Mojave (specifically fixed in iOS 12.1.4 and macOS Mojave 10.14.3 Supplemental Update). The root cause is improper input validation leading to memory corruption, classified under CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write). This vulnerability allows a malicious application to gain elevated privileges on the affected system. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), meaning the attacker must have local access to the device, but no privileges are required initially (PR:N). User interaction is required (UI:R), such as running a malicious app. The vulnerability is exploitable without authentication and can lead to complete compromise of the device by escalating privileges. Although no known exploits in the wild have been reported, the potential for privilege escalation makes this a significant threat, especially for environments where sensitive data is accessed or stored on iOS devices. The fix involves improved input validation to prevent memory corruption, emphasizing the importance of applying the security updates provided by Apple.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a serious risk, particularly for sectors relying heavily on iOS devices for sensitive communications, data storage, or operational control, such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on an iOS device, potentially bypassing security controls, accessing confidential information, or deploying further malware. This could lead to data breaches, loss of intellectual property, and disruption of business operations. The local attack vector means that physical or local access is required, which may limit remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk from insider threats or targeted attacks involving social engineering to convince users to run malicious apps. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability underscores the critical need for timely patching and device management policies within European organizations.

European organizations should prioritize updating all iOS and macOS devices to at least iOS 12.1.4 and macOS Mojave 10.14.3 Supplemental Update or later versions where this vulnerability is patched. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict mobile device management (MDM) policies to control app installations, limiting installations to trusted sources only. Implementing application whitelisting and restricting user permissions can reduce the risk of malicious apps gaining a foothold. User awareness training should emphasize the dangers of installing untrusted applications and the importance of timely updates. Additionally, organizations should monitor device logs for unusual privilege escalation attempts and consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior on iOS devices. Physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to devices are also critical, given the local attack vector.