What is CVE-2026-43686?

CVE-2026-43686 is A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Memory Corruption mapped to CWE-416 Use After Free.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-43686. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

No. CVE-2026-43686 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-43686. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-43686 using CVSS 8.8, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

highMemory Corruption

CVE-2026-43686

CVE-2026-43686 — A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management

A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, watchOS 27. Connecting to a malicious NFS server may lead to kernel memory corruption.

Published Sep 14, 2026Updated Sep 14, 2026Sources: NVD, Apple (CNA), GitHub, GitHub Security Advisory, SOCRadar CTI

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Unreported

no source claims exploitation

EPSS

ahead of 0% of scored CVEs

Affects

Apple

8 products listed

CVSS base

8.8

high

CISA SSVC assessment

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

CISA

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade iOS and iPadOS to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
Apple	iOS and iPadOS	0 to < 26.7	Vulnerable
Apple	iOS and iPadOS	0 to < 27	Vulnerable
Apple	macOS	0 to < 15.8	Vulnerable
Apple	macOS	0 to < 26.7	Vulnerable
Apple	macOS	0 to < 27	Vulnerable
Apple	tvOS	0 to < 27	Vulnerable
Apple	visionOS	0 to < 27	Vulnerable
Apple	watchOS	0 to < 27	Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

High

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Network

Privileges Req

None

User Interaction

Required

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
8.8	CVSS 3.1	high	—	—	CVE Program

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-416Use After Free

Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.

CAPEC-100 · Overflow BuffersCAPEC-123 · Buffer Manipulation

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable iOS and iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS.

web/proxy/WAF logsapplication logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 8.8 (AV:N)
Sep 14, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Sep 14, 2026 · NVD
Added · GHSA-wx7g-gmcw-pmcw published (unknown)
Sep 14, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisory
CVE published by MITRE.
Sep 14, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI

References

10 on the record

support.apple.com/en-us/149034
Vendor Advisory
support.apple.com/en-us/149035
Vendor Advisory
support.apple.com/en-us/149036
Vendor Advisory
support.apple.com/en-us/149037
Vendor Advisory
support.apple.com/en-us/149038
Vendor Advisory
support.apple.com/en-us/149041
Vendor Advisory
support.apple.com/en-us/149042
Vendor Advisory
support.apple.com/en-us/149043
Vendor Advisory

Coverage

1 story from the feeds we poll

The Apple Security Update Review for September 2026
Zero Day Initiative · Sep 16, 2026

Elsewhere on this site

Appleevery CVE for this vendor
Memory Corruptionsame class
CWE-416other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-43686 is A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management, a high vulnerability affecting iOS and iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS from Apple. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-43686. Public exploit evidence is: A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-43686. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 8.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.