# CVE-2026-10610: ESET security applications for macOS privilege escalation in Uninstaller

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-10610-eset-security-applications-for-macos-privilege-escalation-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-24. Updated: 2026-07-24  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-10610 · Severity: info · CVSS 8.5 · Published 2026-07-24

A security vulnerability in ESET antivirus software for macOS could allow a person with limited access to a computer to gain full administrative control. By creating specially named folders, an attacker can trick a background maintenance tool into running unauthorized commands with the highest system privileges. This could lead to the complete takeover of the affected Mac, allowing for the theft of sensitive data or the disabling of security protections.

Vendors: [Eset](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/eset).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-10610 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-10610 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-10610?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 8.5, published 24 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Eset Cyber Security for macOS 9.0.5300.0 and earlier; Eset Endpoint Security for macOS 8.0.7200.0 and earlier, 8.1.200.0 and earlier, 9.0.5400.0 and earlier, 9.1.2500.0 and earlier.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-10610?** A patch was published on 2026-07-24. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-10610 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-10610?** Check whether you run Eset Cyber Security for macOS or Eset Endpoint Security for macOS at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in ESET Endpoint Security and ESET Cyber Security for macOS due to improper privilege management (CWE-269). A helper binary within the ESET Uninstaller application bundle runs with root permissions and fails to properly sanitize directory names containing shell metacharacters. An unprivileged local attacker can exploit this by creating a specially crafted directory name that triggers arbitrary command injection when parsed by the helper tool. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user. ESET has released patches across multiple version branches to address this flaw.

## Affected products

- ESET ESET Endpoint Security for macOS 8.0.7200.0 and earlier, 8.1.200.0 and earlier, 9.0.5400.0 and earlier, 9.1.2500.0 and earlier
- ESET ESET Cyber Security for macOS 9.0.5300.0 and earlier

## Timeline

- 2026-07-24: disclosed
- 2026-07-24: patched
- 2026-07-24: advisory

## References

- [https://support.eset.com/en/ca8977-eset-customer-advisory-local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-eset-security-applications-for-macos-fixed](https://support.eset.com/en/ca8977-eset-customer-advisory-local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-eset-security-applications-for-macos-fixed)

## Related threats

- [ESET Security for macOS local privilege escalation in XPC service](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-7483-eset-security-for-macos-local-privilege-escalation-in-xpc-service)