CVE-2026-112442 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A race condition was addressed with additional validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability described involves a race condition within the operating system's file system handling mechanisms, specifically affecting components responsible for managing access control and integrity checks on protected directories. A race condition occurs when two or more processes attempt to access shared resources concurrently without proper synchronization, leading to unpredictable behavior depending on the timing of execution. In this context, an application could exploit a window of opportunity between the initial permission check and the actual file system modification operation. By manipulating the state during this narrow interval, malicious software can bypass standard security controls that are designed to prevent unauthorized modifications to critical system areas. This flaw undermines the fundamental principle of least privilege by allowing lower-privileged processes to alter files or directories that should remain immutable under normal circumstances.
The technical root cause lies in insufficient validation and synchronization logic within the kernel-level file system drivers or related subsystems on macOS platforms including versions 27.2, 15.8.2, and 26.7.2. When an application requests to write to a protected path, the operating system typically verifies whether the requesting process has sufficient privileges before granting access. However, if this verification is not atomic or if there is a delay between checking permissions and executing the write operation, an attacker can exploit timing differences to insert malicious code or alter configuration files that are normally shielded from user-level applications. This type of flaw is commonly categorized under CWE-362, which defines concurrent execution using shared resources with improper synchronization as a distinct class of software weakness. The lack of robust locking mechanisms allows the race condition to succeed, effectively neutralizing the protective barriers intended by Apple’s security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it enables privilege escalation and potential system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this race condition can modify protected parts of the file system, which may include critical configuration files, kernel extensions, or system binaries. Such modifications can lead to persistent access for malicious actors, installation of backdoors, or disruption of core operating system functionality. Furthermore, altering these protected areas might allow an application to evade detection by security tools that rely on known good states or integrity checks. This capability effectively breaks the trust boundary between user applications and the underlying OS infrastructure, posing a severe risk to data confidentiality, integrity, and availability across affected macOS environments.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to persistence and privilege escalation, such as T1546 (Event Triggered Execution) or T1055 (Process Injection), depending on how the modified files are leveraged post-exploitation. Attackers may use these modifications to establish footholds that survive reboots or to escalate privileges from a standard user account to root-level access without requiring additional exploits. The ability to modify protected file system regions also facilitates lateral movement within enterprise environments where macOS devices interact with centralized management systems, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate endpoint detection and response configurations or disable security monitoring agents.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying the provided software updates that address these synchronization issues through enhanced validation routines. Organizations should prioritize patching all affected endpoints running macOS Golden Gate 27.2, Sequoia 15.8.2, or Tahoe 26.7.2 to close the race condition window. In addition to updating operating systems, administrators should enforce strict application control policies using tools like Apple’s System Integrity Protection (SIP) and FileVault to limit which applications can interact with sensitive system paths. Regular auditing of file integrity for critical directories can help detect unauthorized changes resulting from successful exploitation attempts before they lead to broader compromise. Continuous monitoring for anomalous process behavior, particularly those attempting rapid sequential access to protected resources, provides an additional layer of defense against race condition exploits in production environments.