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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2026-28996 Apple CVE debrief

AI-assisted PatchSiren debrief based on the supplied source corpus. The CVE record for CVE-2026-28996 was published on 2026-05-11T21:18:59.520Z and has not been modified since then. The vulnerability is a race condition addressed with additional validation in various Apple operating systems and devices, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. An app may be able to access sensitive user data due to this vulnerability. The vulnerability has been fixed in iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10, iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, macOS Tahoe 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5. Organizations and individuals using affected Apple devices and versions should prioritize patching to prevent potential sensitive user data exposure. This includes administrators of Apple devices in enterprise environments, individuals using Apple devices for personal or professional use, and security teams responsible for vulnerability management and patching processes. The vulnerability's impact on an organization's security posture depends on the specific Apple devices and versions in use, as well as the potential for sensitive user data exposure in the event of a successful exploit. Evidence is based on official CVE and NVD records, as well as vendor advisories from Apple. To verify, defenders should review the official advisories and assess their environment for potential exposure.

Vendor
Apple
Product
iOS and iPadOS
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-05-11
Original CVE updated
2026-08-17
Advisory published
2026-05-11
Advisory updated
2026-08-17

Who should care

Organizations and individuals using affected Apple devices and versions should prioritize patching to prevent potential sensitive user data exposure. This includes administrators of Apple devices in enterprise environments, individuals using Apple devices for personal or professional use, and security teams responsible for vulnerability management and patching processes. The vulnerability's impact on an organization's security posture depends on the specific Apple devices and versions in use, as well as the potential for sensitive user data exposure in the event of a successful exploit.

Technical summary

A race condition vulnerability was addressed with additional validation in various Apple operating systems and devices, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. An app may be able to access sensitive user data due to this vulnerability. The vulnerability has been fixed in iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10, iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, macOS Tahoe 26.5, tvOS 26.5, visionOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5.

Defensive priority

Medium-priority defensive tasks are recommended given the CVSS score of 5.5 and the potential for sensitive user data exposure.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Inventory and verify affected Apple devices and versions
  • Apply vendor patches for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS
  • Monitor for potential sensitive user data exposure
  • Implement compensating controls for sensitive data access
  • Exception tracking for unpatched devices

Evidence notes

The CVE record indicates a race condition vulnerability addressed with additional validation, fixed in various Apple operating systems and devices. Evidence is based on official CVE and NVD records, as well as vendor advisories from Apple. The affected products include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS. To verify, defenders should review the official advisories and assess their environment for potential exposure.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-28996 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-28996

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-28996 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28996

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.