CVE-2026-112478 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
An out-of-bounds read issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or read kernel memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described constitutes a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within the operating system's core components, specifically addressed in updates for macOS Golden Gate version 27.2 and macOS Tahoe version 26.7.2. This type of security defect arises when software attempts to access memory locations that lie outside the boundaries of allocated buffers or data structures. In this instance, the vulnerability was resolved by removing the specific code segment responsible for the erroneous memory access rather than applying a standard bounds-checking patch, indicating that the logic itself was fundamentally flawed and unsafe for execution in any context. The removal of the vulnerable code effectively eliminates the attack surface associated with this particular function or module within the kernel space.
From a technical perspective, out-of-bounds reads are classified under CWE-125, which describes situations where software reads data past the end or before the beginning of the intended buffer. When such an error occurs in a privileged context like the macOS kernel, the consequences extend far beyond simple application crashes. An attacker who can trigger this condition may be able to read sensitive information from adjacent memory regions that were not intended for public access. This capability allows for the potential exfiltration of cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other confidential data residing in kernel memory, thereby compromising the confidentiality guarantees provided by the operating system's security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is twofold, involving both availability and confidentiality risks. As noted in the advisory, an application may be able to cause unexpected system termination. This represents a denial-of-service condition where malicious or even benign software with specific input patterns can crash kernel processes or trigger panic states, rendering the device unusable until it is rebooted. More critically, the ability to read kernel memory poses a severe confidentiality threat. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker could potentially bypass sandboxing mechanisms and isolation boundaries that separate user-space applications from privileged system services. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers file and directory discovery, but in this context, it extends to direct memory inspection techniques often associated with privilege escalation or data theft vectors such as T1057, process observation, if the read access allows for monitoring of other processes' kernel structures.
Mitigation strategies primarily rely on applying the provided software updates immediately. Administrators and users should ensure that macOS Golden Gate is updated to version 27.2 or later, and macOS Tahoe is updated to version 26.7.2 or later. These patches contain the necessary code removals that neutralize the out-of-bounds read condition. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to compatibility concerns, network segmentation should be employed to restrict untrusted applications from interacting with vulnerable system components. Additionally, enabling strict application control policies and sandboxing can limit the ability of arbitrary software to trigger kernel-level memory access operations that might exploit this flaw. Continuous monitoring for unusual system terminations or unauthorized memory access patterns in logs can also help detect potential exploitation attempts before significant damage occurs.