CVE-2026-112428 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A logic issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. An app may bypass Gatekeeper checks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described involves a critical logic flaw within the Apple Gatekeeper security mechanism, which is designed to verify the integrity and authenticity of software before it is allowed to execute on macOS systems. This issue stems from insufficient validation checks during the application launch process, allowing malicious or unverified applications to bypass standard security protocols that typically require code signing verification and notarization status confirmation. By exploiting this logic error, an attacker can circumvent Gatekeeper protections without triggering alerts or blocking execution, effectively rendering a primary layer of defense against malware and unauthorized software obsolete for affected versions including macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.7.2.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-20 Improper Input Validation or potentially CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code (Code Injection) depending on the specific exploitation vector used to trigger the bypass. The core issue lies in the failure of the operating system's security subsystem to correctly evaluate the trust chain associated with an application binary. When Gatekeeper processes a launch request, it is supposed to inspect the code signature and check against Apple’s notarization database. However, due to the logic error, certain conditions or specific app configurations can cause the verification routine to return a false positive for validity, thereby granting execution privileges that should have been denied. This represents a significant deviation from expected secure coding practices where all inputs and states must be rigorously validated before proceeding with sensitive operations like code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it directly undermines user trust in the macOS ecosystem's ability to prevent malware installation. An attacker who can trick a user into downloading or executing an application could leverage this flaw to run arbitrary code without detection by Gatekeeper. This facilitates initial access for subsequent attacks such as data exfiltration, privilege escalation, or lateral movement within a network environment. In enterprise settings where strict software whitelisting is enforced via Gatekeeper policies, this bypass effectively nullifies those controls, allowing potentially dangerous scripts or binaries to run freely on endpoints that administrators believed were protected.
This vulnerability maps directly to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter under Execution tactics, specifically when used in conjunction with techniques like T1620 Reflective Code Loading if the bypass allows for dynamic code execution without disk footprint detection. It also relates to T1486 Data Encrypted for Impact if the executed payload is ransomware that relies on evading initial security checks to deploy encryption routines rapidly before defenses can react. The ability to bypass Gatekeeper significantly lowers the barrier of entry for threat actors, enabling them to distribute malicious payloads through social engineering or compromised legitimate software updates with a higher success rate in executing their code.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve immediate patching by updating affected macOS installations to versions that include the fix for this logic issue. Administrators should ensure that automatic security updates are enabled to receive these patches promptly as they become available from Apple. In environments where manual update deployment is necessary, IT teams must prioritize applying these specific version updates across all endpoints. Additionally, organizations can implement supplementary controls such as endpoint detection and response solutions that monitor for anomalous process creation patterns indicative of Gatekeeper bypass attempts. Enforcing strict application control policies through third-party security tools or native macOS configuration profiles can provide an additional layer of defense independent of the built-in Gatekeeper mechanism until full patch compliance is achieved across all systems.