dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2026-39868

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 26.5.2 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click 7 weeks old

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
This issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10, iOS 26.5.2 and iPadOS 26.5.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.5.2, tvOS 26.6, visionOS 26.6, watchOS 26.6. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.

In the news

Third-party coverage
Trending covered by 1 outlet this week · latest 1mo ago

Surfaced from public web coverage — external links open in a new tab.

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 · moderate confidence

Kernel-level input validation vulnerability in multiple Apple operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS) allowing a malicious application to cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.

MitigationApply vendor updates: iOS 26.5.2, iPadOS 26.5.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.5.2, tvOS 26.6, visionOS 26.6, or watchOS 26.6. No custom remediation possible; must wait for and deploy official Apple patches.

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:< 26.5.2
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 26.5.2
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 26.5.2

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
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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. Check macOS version on Apple computers
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The reported version is lower than 26.5.2 (for example: 26.5.1, 26.4.x, or any version below 26.5.2)
  2. Check iOS version on iPhones
    On the device, go to Settings > General > About > Version. Alternatively, check via MDM or mobile device management console if deployed.
    Affected if The displayed version is lower than 26.5.2 (for example: 26.5.1, 26.4.x, or any version below 26.5.2)
  3. Check iPadOS version on iPads
    On the device, go to Settings > General > About > Version. Alternatively, check via MDM or mobile device management console if deployed.
    Affected if The displayed version is lower than 26.5.2 (for example: 26.5.1, 26.4.x, or any version below 26.5.2)
  4. Verify OS build number for additional context (macOS)
    Run: sw_vers -buildVersion in Terminal
    Affected if The build version corresponds to an unpatched release (useful when version shows 26.5.2 but build is older than the patched build)

If any Apple device (iPhone, iPad, or Mac) is running a version lower than 26.5.2, the kernel input validation vulnerability is present and the device is affected.

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 26.5.2 or later
Fixed in 26.5.2
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor updates: iOS 26.5.2, iPadOS 26.5.2, macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.5.2, tvOS 26.6, visionOS 26.6, or watchOS 26.6. No custom remediation possible; must wait for and deploy official Apple patches.

Recommended fix High confidence

iOS 26.5.2, iPadOS 26.5.2, macOS Tahoe 26.5.2

  1. Back up your device using iCloud or Finder/iTunes before updating
  2. On iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 26.5.2 or iPadOS 26.5.2
  3. On Mac: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install macOS Tahoe 26.5.2
  4. Restart the device after the update completes
Caveat Standard Apple security update with no expected breaking changes; ensure apps are compatible before updating

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2026-39868 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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