Description

A null pointer dereference was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.9 and iPadOS 18.7.9, iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "5.5",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-25T20:17:00.640Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-25T20:17:00.640Z",
  "executiveSummary": "This vulnerability involves a null pointer dereference flaw within the system architecture of iOS and iPadOS. The root cause pertains to inadequate input validation mechanisms, which allow a malicious application to pass unexpected or malformed data that triggers a dereference of a null memory address.\nThe primary impact of this vulnerability is the triggering of an unexpected system termination, effectively resulting in a denial-of-service (DoS) condition at the device level. The affected products include iOS and iPadOS versions 18.7.9 and 26.5. This issue poses significant risk to system stability, as an attacker with local execution capabilities can force a kernel or system-level crash.\nExploitation does not inherently require elevated privileges; however, it necessitates the successful execution of an application on the target device. By providing specially crafted inputs that the system fails to sanitize, an attacker can destabilize system services, leading to loss of availability and potential data loss associated with the forced termination.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability originates from a failure in input sanitization routines within the affected operating system components. A null pointer dereference occurs when a program attempts to access or perform operations on a memory address that has been explicitly set to null (0x0). In this context, the vulnerability arises when internal system functions receive unsanitized input that forces an execution path to reference a pointer before it has been properly initialized or assigned a valid memory location.\nThe exploitation flow initiates when a malicious application transmits a specific, malformed request to a vulnerable system service or API endpoint. Because the input validation logic is flawed, the component fails to reject or handle the input gracefully. When the system logic processes this input, it transitions into a state where it expects a valid object reference, but instead encounters a null pointer.\nUpon attempting to dereference the null pointer, the CPU triggers an exception or a memory access violation. In the context of iOS and iPadOS, such memory access violations in critical components are typically unrecoverable. Consequently, the operating system kernel initiates an immediate termination of the process or the entire system to maintain security and memory integrity, thereby causing a system-wide crash or a hang condition.\nThis vulnerability affects iOS and iPadOS versions 18.7.9 and 26.5. The flaw is consistent with scenarios where developers assume input parameters are always non-null. The lack of robust check-and-verify logic allows the application-layer input to penetrate deeper into the system's runtime environment, circumventing the expected boundaries of memory safety.\nThe post-exploitation impact is limited to denial-of-service; there is no current evidence suggesting that this specific null pointer dereference allows for arbitrary code execution (ACE) or privilege escalation. However, the resulting instability forces a state of non-availability that disrupts user operations and renders the affected device unresponsive until a forced restart occurs. The vulnerability emphasizes the critical necessity of performing exhaustive bounds checking and pointer validation before dereferencing any memory handles derived from external or untrusted application input."
}