CVE-2020-27938 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/03/2021
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.2, Security Update 2021-001 Catalina, Security Update 2021-001 Mojave, macOS Big Sur 11.1, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 Mojave. A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical logic flaw in the operating system's state management mechanisms that could potentially allow a malicious application to escalate privileges from a standard user account to administrative level. The issue stems from inadequate handling of system states during application execution, creating potential pathways for unauthorized privilege elevation. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of macOS including Big Sur 11.1 and 11.2, as well as various Security Update releases for Catalina and Mojave operating systems. The flaw demonstrates a weakness in the operating system's privilege control architecture where normal application execution could inadvertently trigger state transitions that bypass standard security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper state validation within the kernel or system-level processes that manage user permissions and access controls. When applications interact with system resources, the state management system should maintain strict boundaries between user and privileged execution contexts. However, the logic flaw allows for state transitions that can be manipulated by malicious software to gain elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically addressing improper privilege management where applications can bypass normal security controls through flawed state handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it could enable attackers to gain complete system control through seemingly benign applications. Once elevated to administrative privileges, malicious software could install persistent backdoors, modify system files, access encrypted data, or manipulate security controls to maintain long-term access. The attack vector likely involves social engineering or exploitation of trusted application execution contexts where users might unknowingly launch malicious software that triggers the privilege escalation mechanism. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1548.001 for abuse of system permissions.
The fixes implemented in the security updates address this issue through enhanced state management protocols that properly validate system transitions and maintain stricter boundaries between different privilege levels. These updates likely include modifications to kernel-level state handling routines, improved validation of application execution contexts, and strengthened checks on privilege elevation requests. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these security updates across all affected macOS systems, particularly in enterprise environments where multiple users may be running potentially malicious software. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper state management in operating system security and highlights how seemingly minor logic flaws can create significant security risks that affect system integrity and user data protection.