CVE-2026-112535 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A race condition was addressed with improved handling of symbolic links. 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 race condition related to the handling of symbolic links within the operating system's file management subsystems. A race condition occurs when two or more processes access shared data concurrently, and the final outcome depends on the non-deterministic timing of their execution. In this specific context, the flaw lies in how the kernel or core utilities validate and resolve symbolic links before performing file operations. Typically, secure systems employ a mechanism known as Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) protection to ensure that the state of a resource remains consistent between the initial verification step and its subsequent use. The identified flaw indicates that this synchronization was insufficient, allowing an attacker to manipulate the target of a symbolic link in the narrow window between when the system checks if the operation is permitted and when it actually executes the file modification. This specific type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-367, which defines TOCTOU race conditions involving files or directories.
From an operational perspective, this flaw poses a significant risk to system integrity because it can be leveraged by malicious applications to bypass standard access controls. By exploiting the timing gap, an application that lacks elevated privileges may trick privileged processes into modifying protected parts of the file system. For instance, if a symbolic link points to a critical configuration file or a binary in a restricted directory, an attacker could replace the target of that symlink with their own malicious payload just before the privileged process attempts to write to it. This effectively allows untrusted code to alter sensitive system files, potentially leading to privilege escalation, persistence mechanisms being installed, or the corruption of essential operating system components. The impact is particularly severe because file system modifications are often performed by background services running with high-level permissions, making them attractive targets for such exploitation techniques.
This vulnerability aligns closely with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1546.003, which covers Event Triggered Execution via ACL Modification or similar mechanisms where attackers manipulate filesystem objects to achieve persistence or privilege escalation. The ability to modify protected file system parts undermines the fundamental security boundary between user-space applications and kernel-level resources. It compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the operating environment by allowing unauthorized changes to files that are normally shielded from standard users. Such exploits can be used to install rootkits, alter authentication mechanisms, or disrupt critical services depending on which protected areas are targeted through the symlink manipulation.
To mitigate this risk, it is imperative to apply the updates provided in macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.7.2 immediately upon availability. These patches address the underlying race condition by improving how symbolic links are handled during file operations, likely implementing stricter validation checks or atomic operations that prevent the state of a resource from changing between check and use. System administrators should ensure that all endpoints running these operating systems are patched to close this window of opportunity for attackers. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict application control policies to limit which applications have permission to interact with sensitive file system areas, reducing the attack surface even if similar vulnerabilities exist in other components. Regular auditing of symbolic links and monitoring for unusual file modification patterns can also provide early detection indicators for potential exploitation attempts targeting this class of vulnerability.