CVE-2026-112498 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. 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 break out of its sandbox.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described involves a failure in the operating system's application containment mechanisms, specifically within the Apple iOS and iPadOS sandboxing architecture. This issue allows an application that is otherwise confined by strict security boundaries to escape those restrictions and access resources or perform actions outside its designated scope. The root cause lies in insufficient enforcement of isolation policies during specific operational states or interactions with core system services, effectively creating a pathway for privilege escalation from the context of a standard user-level process to one with elevated privileges or broader file system access.
From a technical perspective, this represents a classic sandbox escape vulnerability where the boundary between trusted and untrusted code is breached. The operating system relies on mandatory access control systems such as Seatbelt in macOS and iOS to restrict what an app can do. When these restrictions are bypassed through additional sandbox loopholes or misconfigurations addressed by the update, malicious actors could potentially read sensitive user data stored outside the app's container, modify system configurations, or install persistent malware that survives application termination. The flaw likely stems from a race condition, improper validation of file paths, or an overly permissive entitlement granted to certain processes during specific updates or runtime conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for end-users and enterprise environments alike. An attacker who exploits this sandbox escape could gain unauthorized access to personal information such as contacts, messages, photos, and location history that are typically protected by the app's isolated storage environment. Furthermore, if the escaped process can interact with other system services or kernel components, it may lead to full device compromise. This undermines the fundamental security model of modern mobile operating systems which depend on compartmentalization to limit the blast radius of any single compromised application.
Industry standards classify this type of flaw under CWE-250, which denotes execution with unnecessary privileges, and more specifically aligns with techniques observed in MITRE ATT&CK framework related to privilege escalation and defense evasion via sandbox escape mechanisms such as T1611 or similar container breakout vectors depending on the specific exploitation vector. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of rigorous code auditing for system-level components that enforce security boundaries.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying the provided software updates immediately, which include macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.7.2 as noted in the advisory. These patches contain code changes that tighten the sandbox restrictions and close the specific logical flaws allowing for escape. Organizations should ensure automated patch management processes are configured to deploy these updates across all managed devices without delay. Additionally, developers should review their app entitlements to ensure they adhere to the principle of least privilege, requesting only the minimum permissions necessary for functionality to reduce the potential impact if similar vulnerabilities arise in future releases.