Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A malicious webpage or other web content can trigger a memory-handling flaw on affected Apple devices, causing the processing application to crash. The documented impact is service disruption, not data theft or modification. Apple corrected the issue across current iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS releases.
Executive priority
Prioritize routine, timely deployment through existing Apple patch cycles, accelerating updates for heavily used or shared devices. The issue is remotely reachable but requires user interaction, and the documented consequence is a crash. Escalation beyond moderate urgency is not supported without evidence of active exploitation or broader impact.
Technical view
CVE-2026-28879 is a remotely reachable use-after-free vulnerability classified as CWE-416. Processing maliciously crafted web content requires user interaction and may cause an unexpected process crash. CVSS 3.1 scores it 6.5, reflecting low attack complexity, no privileges, and high availability impact without documented confidentiality or integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Apple devices are potentially exposed when they have not reached the named fixed release for their operating system. The supplied data does not provide reliable affected-version ranges, so exposure should be established by comparing each device against Apple’s fixed versions rather than relying on the placeholder version entries.
Exploitation context
The supplied record does not identify active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked as present in KEV. Exploitation requires a user to process maliciously crafted web content. Public evidence here supports a crash and availability impact only; it does not establish code execution, data disclosure, or persistence.
Researcher notes
The record identifies a use-after-free corrected through improved memory management but provides no component name, root-cause detail, affected-version boundaries, or proof of exploitation. The CVSS vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Treat claims beyond process denial of service as unconfirmed.
Mitigation direction
- Update iPhones and iPads to iOS or iPadOS 18.7.7 or 26.4, as applicable.
- Update Macs to Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.5, or Tahoe 26.4, as applicable.
- Update Apple TV, Vision Pro, and Apple Watch devices to version 26.4.
- Review Apple guidance for devices unable to install a listed fixed release.
Validation and detection
- Inventory deployed Apple devices and record their operating-system versions.
- Compare each device version with the applicable fixed release named by Apple.
- Verify management systems report successful installation and no pending restart.
- Investigate recurring process crashes associated with web-content processing while updates remain outstanding.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-28879 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H2.83.6CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126792CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126793CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126794CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126795CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126796CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126797CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126798CVE reference, apple
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/126799CVE reference, apple
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.