Executive brief
A security vulnerability in macOS could allow a malicious application to gain full administrative (root) control over a computer. This would give the attacker complete access to all files, settings, and system functions. Apple has released software updates to address this issue by improving how the system validates certain types of data.
Technical details
An injection vulnerability exists in macOS that allows a local application to escalate privileges to root. The root cause is insufficient input validation, which was addressed in the latest updates by implementing improved validation logic. An attacker must be able to execute code on the target system (typically via a malicious app) to exploit this flaw. Successful exploitation results in a complete compromise of the operating system's security model. The issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.
Affected products
- Apple macOS Sonoma before 14.8.8
- Apple macOS Sequoia before 15.7.8
- Apple macOS Tahoe before 26.6
Timeline
- 2026-07-27: advisory
- 2026-07-27: disclosed
- 2026-07-27: patched