VulnerabilityPublished 25 Mar 2026Updated 26 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-28880: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Improper Access Control

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 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

6.5Medium

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	6.5

EPSS: 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 56% 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 +1

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
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: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to 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: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
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), 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, 15.7.5 or 14.8.5; visionOS 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
ApplemacOS	Affected <14.8.5	Fixed in 14.8.5
ApplevisionOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-28880, organizations and users should promptly apply the security updates released by Apple for iOS 18.7.7, iPadOS 18.7.7, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.5, Tahoe 26.4, and visionOS 26.4. Beyond patching, administrators should enforce strict app installation policies, limiting apps to those from trusted sources and using Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to control app permissions. Monitoring network traffic for unusual app enumeration attempts can help detect exploitation attempts. Developers should review their apps to ensure they do not inadvertently expose installed app information through APIs or inter-process communication. User education on the risks of installing untrusted apps and the importance of timely updates is also critical. Finally, organizations should integrate this vulnerability into their threat modeling and incident response plans to quickly address any exploitation attempts.

Description

A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. 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 Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, visionOS 26.4. An app may be able to enumerate a user's installed apps.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-28880 is on user privacy and information confidentiality. By allowing an attacker to enumerate installed applications, malicious actors can profile users’ device configurations, identify security software or sensitive apps, and tailor subsequent attacks such as phishing, social engineering, or exploitation of known vulnerabilities in specific apps. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise data integrity or availability, it facilitates reconnaissance that can lead to more severe attacks. Organizations relying on Apple devices, especially those in sensitive sectors like finance, healthcare, or government, may face increased risk of targeted attacks if devices are unpatched. Additionally, the exposure of installed app lists can violate privacy policies and regulatory compliance requirements related to user data protection. The vulnerability’s ease of exploitation without user interaction or privileges increases the attack surface, making it a significant concern for enterprise and personal users alike.

CWE-284Improper Access Control (opens in a new tab)
Pillar weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #19OWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Embedding Scripts within Scripts (opens in a new tab)
Modification of Windows Service Configuration (opens in a new tab)
Malicious Root Certificate (opens in a new tab)
Intent Spoof (opens in a new tab)
WebView Exposure (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 03:15 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-284

Technical details

References

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