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major vulnerability· requires attention

Affects widely used Apple OS family (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS); sandbox escape enabling code execution on many devices — notable enterprise impact.

Systems

CVE-2026-28973

8.6
High
EPSS 0.19%Patch availableJul 29, 2026

Integer overflow in Apple OS allows a malicious app to escape its sandbox.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-28973 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-28973 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.19% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-28973?

CVE-2026-28973 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.6. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-28973?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-28973. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-28973 affect?

CVE-2026-28973 affects iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, and 2 further products or versions. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-28973?

Deploy Apple updates (iOS/iPadOS 26.6, macOS Sequoia/Sonoma/Tahoe updates, watchOS 26.6) promptly.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
iOS 26.6iPadOS 26.6macOS Sequoia 15.7.8macOS Sonoma 14.8.8macOS Tahoe 26.6watchOS 26.6
impact

Local malicious app can exploit an integer overflow to break out of its sandbox, enabling code execution or privilege escalation on affected devices.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
Apple iOS and iPadOS
  • affected< 18.7.10
  • affected< 26.6
Apple macOS
  • affected< 14.8.8
  • affected< 15.7.8
  • affected< 26.6
Apple watchOS
  • affected< 26.6

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
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