Systems

CVE-2026-86950

CoreGraphics out-of-bounds write in Apple OSes enabling arbitrary code execution via crafted files.

Major vulnerability. Actively exploited, affects widely deployed Apple OSes (iOS/iPadOS/macOS); arbitrary code execution risk and CISA KEV — broad org impact if unpatched.

CVSS: 8.8Highscored by CISA
Exploited in the wild: Yes, in CISA KEV since 29 Sept 2026CISA deadline for US federal agencies: 13 Oct 2026unvetted proof-of-concept code on github
EPSS: 26.2%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 2% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 12 Nov 2026
Fix: Patch availablesee the advisories in the references
Published: 28 Sept 2026analysed here 29 Sept 2026

Do first. Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines. (CISA's required action for this KEV entry)

Summary

Impact

Processing a malicious file can trigger arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to run code, compromise devices, and exfiltrate data.

Triage

Attack surface: Server-side
Exploitable: At runtime
Attack vector: network
Weakness: CWE-787 Out-of-Bounds Write
Can a WAF block it?: No. See why

The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.

Affected products

Product	Affected versions	Vendor says fixed in
Apple iOS and iPadOS	< 26.7.1Vendor says fixed in: not stated	Not stated by the vendor
Apple macOS	< 15.8.1< 26.7.1Vendor says fixed in: not stated	Not stated by the vendor

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.

Products named in our analysis

iOS <27 (fixed in iOS 26.7.1)
iPadOS <27 (fixed in iPadOS 26.7.1)
macOS Sequoia <15.8.1 (fixed in 15.8.1)
macOS Tahoe <26.7.1 (fixed in 26.7.1)

Fix and mitigation

Action required

Immediate action required

WAF and other mitigations

Can a WAF block it? No. The vulnerability is triggered by crafted files processed by the operating system's graphics component, requiring local access to open or handle these files. This does not involve network requests that a web application firewall could inspect or block.

Also consider: patch

Based on an AI reading of the CVE description, and no vendor rule found yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.

Remediation steps (AI-written)

Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.

Exploitation evidence

CISA KEV catalog: Listed since 29 Sept 2026.
CISA due date: 13 Oct 2026, the remediation deadline for US federal agencies
CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
Public exploit code: Unvetted proof-of-concept code on GitHub: 7 GitHub proofs of concept
CISA SSVC: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 30 Sept 2026 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.

GitHub proofs of concept

and 3 more repositories

Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.

Timeline

28 Sept 2026Published
29 Sept 2026Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild)same day later
29 Sept 2026First proof-of-concept repository on GitHub (unvetted)same day later
29 Sept 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com1 day later
30 Sept 2026CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active1 day later
13 Oct 2026CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies)13 days later
26 Oct 2026CVE record last updated14 days later

Common questions

Is CVE-2026-86950 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2026-86950 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.

How severe is CVE-2026-86950?

CVE-2026-86950 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. 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-2026-86950?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-86950. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-86950 affect?

CVE-2026-86950 affects iOS <27 (fixed in iOS 26.7.1), iPadOS <27 (fixed in iPadOS 26.7.1), macOS Sequoia <15.8.1 (fixed in 15.8.1), macOS Tahoe <26.7.1 (fixed in 26.7.1). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-86950?

Install Apple updates immediately; isolate/scan suspected devices and follow CISA BOD 26-04 guidance.

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

References

NVD CVE.org CVE Details Source

8 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.

Where the data on this page comes from

CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
NVD: CVSS and CPE data
CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
PoC-in-GitHub: GitHub repositories that claim a proof of concept

Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.

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