dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2026-28886

MEDIUM · 5.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.8.5 / 15.7.5 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A null pointer dereference was addressed with improved input validation. 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, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4. A user in a privileged network position may be able to cause a denial-of-service.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A null pointer dereference vulnerability in Apple operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS) that could be exploited by a user in a privileged network position to cause a denial-of-service. The issue was addressed through improved input validation.

MitigationApply the available security updates (iOS 18.7.7/iOS 26.4 and corresponding versions for other OSes) to all affected devices to remediate the vulnerability.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 18.7.7>= 26.0, < 26.4
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 18.7.7>= 26.0, < 26.4
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 14.0, < 14.8.5>= 15.0, < 15.7.5>= 26.0, < 26.4
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 26.4
VisionosOperating system
Affected:< 26.4
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 26.4

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Apple operating system product and version
    On the device, go to Settings > General > About (iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/visionOS), System Settings > About (tvOS), or Apple menu > About This Mac (macOS) to view the version number
    Affected if The detected version falls within any of the affected ranges: iOS/iPadOS < 18.7.7 or >= 26.0 to < 26.4; macOS 14.0-14.8.4, 15.0-15.7.4, or 26.0-26.3; tvOS/visionOS/watchOS < 26.4
  2. Confirm the specific macOS version if applicable
    Run 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal on macOS to get the exact version number (e.g., 14.8, 15.7, 26.3)
    Affected if Running macOS 14.x and version is less than 14.8.5, OR macOS 15.x and version is less than 15.7.5, OR macOS 26.x and version is less than 26.4
  3. Verify iOS or iPadOS version on mobile devices
    Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on iPhone or iPad to confirm the exact iOS/iPadOS version installed
    Affected if iOS/iPadOS version is below 18.7.7 OR between 26.0 and 26.3 inclusive (any version < 26.4)
  4. Check tvOS, visionOS, or watchOS version
    On Apple TV: go to Settings > General > About > Version. On Apple Watch: open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > About. On Vision Pro: go to Settings > General > About
    Affected if The version is any release prior to 26.4 (including all 25.x and earlier versions)

You are affected if your Apple device runs any iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, or watchOS version that matches the vulnerable ranges listed above; compare your installed version to these ranges to determine exposure.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 14.8.5 / 15.7.5 / 18.7.7 or later
Fixed in 14.8.515.7.518.7.7
Interim mitigation

Apply the available security updates (iOS 18.7.7/iOS 26.4 and corresponding versions for other OSes) to all affected devices to remediate the vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 18.7.7 or iOS 26.4 (iPhone), iPadOS 18.7.7 or iPadOS 26.4 (iPad), macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, or macOS Tahoe 26.4 (Mac), tvOS 26.4 (Apple TV), visionOS 26.4 (Apple Vision Pro), watchOS 26.4 (Apple Watch)

  1. For iPhone users: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 18.7.7 or iOS 26.4
  2. For iPad users: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iPadOS 18.7.7 or iPadOS 26.4
  3. For Mac users: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, or macOS Tahoe 26.4
  4. For Apple TV users: Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and install tvOS 26.4
  5. For Apple Watch users: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install watchOS 26.4
  6. For Apple Vision Pro users: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install visionOS 26.4
Caveat Standard OS update risks apply (ensure backups before updating); no specific breaking changes for this security fix

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,780
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,848.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-28886 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-28886 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data