VulnerabilityPublished 25 Mar 2026Updated 26 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-28867: Apple iOS and iPadOS · An app may be able to leak sensitive kernel state

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.2 Medium : upgrade to 26.4 or 18.7.7 when convenient.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 12:04 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.2Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

Thin evidence

One scorer or none

CVSS scores by source
CISA-ADP	CVSS 3.1	6.2

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 14% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 26.4, 18.7.7, 15.7.5

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: evidence found.
Public exploit code: GitHub proofs of concept
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), GitHub proofs of concept, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 30 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade iOS and iPadOS to 26.4 or 18.7.7; macOS to 26.4 or 15.7.5; tvOS and visionOS and watchOS to 26.4.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
AppleiOS and iPadOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4
AppleiOS and iPadOS	Affected <18.7.7	Fixed in 18.7.7
ApplemacOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4
ApplemacOS	Affected <15.7.5	Fixed in 15.7.5
AppletvOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4
ApplevisionOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-28867, organizations and users should promptly update all affected Apple devices to the patched versions: iOS 18.7.7, iPadOS 18.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, and watchOS 26.4. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict app vetting policies to prevent installation of untrusted or malicious applications that could exploit local vulnerabilities. Employing Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions can help control app installations and enforce security configurations. Monitoring device behavior for unusual kernel access patterns or anomalous app activity may provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Additionally, educating users about the risks of installing apps from untrusted sources reduces exposure. For high-security environments, consider restricting device usage to only necessary applications and disabling developer or debugging features that could facilitate exploitation. Regularly review and update security policies to incorporate emerging threats related to kernel information leakage.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved authentication. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4. An app may be able to leak sensitive kernel state.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-28867 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive kernel state information, which compromises confidentiality. While this does not directly affect system integrity or availability, leaked kernel data can enable attackers to develop more sophisticated exploits, such as privilege escalation or sandbox escapes, increasing the overall risk posture. Organizations relying on Apple devices, especially those handling sensitive or regulated data, face increased risk of targeted attacks if this vulnerability is exploited. The local attack vector means that malicious apps or code running on the device could leverage this flaw without requiring user interaction or elevated privileges, making it a stealthy threat. This could be particularly impactful in environments with BYOD policies or where unvetted apps might be installed. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. Failure to patch could lead to data leakage that undermines trust in Apple device security and complicates compliance with data protection regulations.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 03:13 UTC

Public exploits and detectionGitHub proofs of concept

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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