CVE-2026-112504 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A parsing issue in the handling of directory paths was addressed with improved path 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 • 10/26/2026
The vulnerability described involves a critical flaw in how directory paths are parsed and validated within the operating system's core components. This issue stems from insufficient sanitization or normalization logic when processing user-supplied path inputs, allowing for potential path traversal attacks. In many modern operating systems, including macOS variants such as Golden Gate 27.2, Sequoia 15.8.2, and Tahoe 26.7.2, the file system abstraction layer is responsible for translating logical paths into physical locations on disk. When this translation process fails to correctly resolve symbolic links or normalize relative path components like dot-dot sequences, it can lead to a discrepancy between where an application intends to write data and where it actually writes that data due to improper validation of the resolved absolute path.
This technical flaw is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, commonly known as directory traversal. The core issue lies in the failure to enforce strict boundaries around protected system directories. An attacker or malicious application can exploit this by crafting specific input strings that bypass intended restrictions. For instance, if an application uses user-provided data to construct file paths without adequately checking for escape sequences or relative navigation commands, it may inadvertently write files into sensitive areas of the file system such as /etc, /usr/bin, or other directories reserved for system integrity and security controls. This misalignment between intended and actual destination is a classic example of how input validation failures can lead to significant privilege escalation vectors if the executing process has elevated permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe because it allows an app with standard user privileges to modify protected parts of the file system. By altering critical configuration files, binaries, or libraries located in restricted directories, a compromised application could persist across reboots, intercept sensitive data, or execute arbitrary code with higher privilege levels than originally granted. This undermines the fundamental security model of the operating system, which relies on strict separation between user space and kernel or protected system spaces. Such modifications can lead to complete compromise of device integrity, enabling further attacks such as keylogging, credential theft, or installation of rootkits that are difficult to detect using standard antivirus solutions because they reside in trusted locations within the file hierarchy.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying the provided software updates which address these path validation issues through improved parsing logic and stricter boundary checks. Developers should ensure that all applications undergo rigorous security testing focusing on input sanitization, particularly for any functionality involving file system operations. Implementing defense-in-depth measures such as sandboxing can also limit the blast radius of such vulnerabilities by restricting an application's ability to access sensitive directories regardless of path manipulation attempts. Furthermore, adhering to principles like least privilege ensures that even if a vulnerability is exploited, the potential damage is contained within limited scopes rather than affecting core system stability and security.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this type of vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to persistence and defense evasion, specifically those involving file modification in protected directories. Attackers often leverage such flaws to establish footholds that survive user logouts or application restarts. Security teams should monitor for unusual write operations to system-critical paths and ensure that endpoint detection systems are configured to alert on modifications outside of expected application data folders. Regular patching cycles remain the most effective countermeasure, as vendors like Apple typically release updates specifically designed to close these logical gaps in path handling mechanisms before they can be widely exploited in the wild.