Apple has backported security patches released last month to older iPhones and iPads, addressing a zero-day bug exploited in “extremely sophisticated” targeted attacks on iOS devices.
Apple patched the same vulnerability in September for devices running iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1, macOS Tahoe 26.7.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.8.1.
Meta Product Security discovered this out-of-bounds write weakness (tracked as CVE-2026-86950) in CoreGraphics, a framework used for two-dimensional vector graphics, text drawing, and image rendering across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
Successful exploitation of out-of-bounds write security issues can let attackers crash programs, corrupt data, or gain remote code execution by writing data outside the allocated memory buffer.
“Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 27,” Apple warned on Monday.
“Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to arbitrary code execution. An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking.”
With this week’s security patches, Apple has now also addressed this vulnerability on iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPad 7th generation, iPad Air 4th generation and later, iPad 9th generation and later, and iPad mini 6th generation and later.
While Apple said CVE-2026-86950 is exploited only in highly targeted attacks, it is strongly advised to install these backported patches to block potential attacks.
With this vulnerability, Apple has fixed two zero-days exploited in attacks this year. The other (CVE-2026-20700), an arbitrary code execution vulnerability in dyld (the Dynamic Link Editor used by Apple operating systems) also exploited in “extremely sophisticated” targeted attacks, was patched in February.
Earlier this year, Apple also fixed a high-severity Beats Studio Buds flaw (CVE-2025-20701) that lets attackers in Bluetooth range spy on users’ conversations, and patched older iPhones and iPads against four vulnerabilities targeted in cyberespionage and crypto-theft attacks using the Coruna exploit kit.
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