CVE-2026-43693: Apple macOS race condition privilege escalation to root

Executive brief

A vulnerability in macOS could allow a malicious application to gain full administrative (root) control over a computer. This would allow the app to bypass security protections, access all user data, and modify system files. Users should update to the latest versions of macOS to resolve this issue.

Technical details

A race condition exists in macOS that can be exploited by a local application to escalate privileges to root. The vulnerability stems from improper state handling during specific system operations. An attacker with the ability to run arbitrary code on the target system could exploit this timing window to gain elevated permissions. Apple addressed the issue by improving state handling logic. The fix is available in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.

Affected products

• Apple macOS Sequoia Before 15.7.8
• Apple macOS Sonoma Before 14.8.8
• Apple macOS Tahoe Before 26.6

Timeline

• 2026-07-27: disclosed
• 2026-07-27: advisory
• 2026-07-27: patched

References

• https://support.apple.com/en-us/128067
• https://support.apple.com/en-us/128071
• https://support.apple.com/en-us/128072