CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-43822NVD status: Modified

iOS and iPadOS: Use After Free

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-43822 is a critical-severity use after free vulnerability in iOS and iPadOS from Apple, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 18.7.10, 26.6 as the first without the flaw, so updating iOS and iPadOS to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.66% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 52% of scored CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update iOS and iPadOS to 18.7.10 or 26.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update macOS to 14.8.8 or 15.7.8 or 26.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Update tvOS to 26.6 or a later version.
  4. Read the advisory on support.apple.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  5. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
AppleiOS and iPadOSbefore 18.7.10; before 26.618.7.10, 26.6
ApplemacOSbefore 14.8.8; before 15.7.8; before 26.614.8.8, 15.7.8, 26.6
AppletvOSbefore 26.626.6
ApplevisionOSbefore 26.626.6
ApplewatchOSbefore 26.626.6
AppleiPadOSbefore 26.626.6
AppleIphone OSbefore 26.626.6

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).

Official description

A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10, iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6, macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.6, tvOS 26.6, visionOS 26.6, watchOS 26.6. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Use After Free

The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
  • When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.

More Use After Free vulnerabilities (CWE-416)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in iOS and iPadOS

All iOS and iPadOS vulnerabilities

Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities

Spotted an error? Tell us.