CVE-2026-112537 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
This issue was addressed with improved data protection. 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 read sensitive location information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability described involves a failure in data protection mechanisms within the operating system's handling of user privacy settings, specifically concerning geolocation services. This flaw allows applications that do not have explicit authorization or are running with elevated privileges beyond their intended scope to access sensitive location data belonging to other users or processes. The core technical issue stems from insufficient enforcement of sandboxing boundaries and permission checks when querying the Core Location framework. In a properly secured environment, an application must request specific permissions such as When In Use or Always Allow for location services, and these requests are subject to strict validation by the operating system's security kernel. However, in this instance, the logic governing access control lists failed to correctly validate the context of the requesting process, leading to unauthorized disclosure of precise geographic coordinates that should have remained isolated within the user's private data container.
From a technical perspective, this represents a classic privilege escalation or information leakage scenario where an untrusted entity gains read access to protected resources. The flaw likely resides in how the system caches location data or handles inter-process communication related to location services. If an application can bypass standard API restrictions through race conditions, memory corruption techniques, or by exploiting misconfigured entitlements, it can extract high-precision latitude and longitude values without triggering user notifications or consent dialogs. This undermines the fundamental principle of least privilege, allowing software components that should be restricted in their data access to observe real-time physical movements of device users. Such capabilities are particularly dangerous as they enable persistent surveillance profiles to be built by malicious actors who can correlate location history with other personal identifiers stored on the device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe regarding user privacy and security posture. Unauthorized access to sensitive location information enables stalking, theft planning, and targeted phishing attacks based on known routines or frequent locations such as homes and workplaces. For enterprise environments running macOS in managed deployments, this could lead to compliance violations with regulations like GDPR or CCPA which mandate strict controls over personal data collection and storage. Attackers leveraging this flaw can operate stealthily since the location access might not appear prominently in standard permission logs if the exploitation relies on low-level system calls that bypass higher-level auditing mechanisms. This creates a blind spot where malicious activity goes undetected by both users and security monitoring tools, allowing for prolonged exposure of sensitive behavioral patterns.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying the provided software updates which address these data protection improvements in macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. These patches likely include stricter validation logic within the location services daemon, enhanced sandboxing rules to prevent cross-process data leakage, and improved auditing of permission requests. Administrators should ensure all devices are updated immediately to close this attack vector. Additionally, users can mitigate risk by regularly reviewing app permissions in system settings, revoking Always Allow status for applications that do not strictly require continuous location tracking, and enabling additional privacy features such as Precise Location toggles where applicable. From a defensive security standpoint, deploying endpoint detection and response solutions capable of monitoring unusual API calls to location services can help identify exploitation attempts before data exfiltration occurs.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 Information Exposure which covers situations where sensitive information is disclosed without proper authorization or access controls. It also relates closely to ATT&CK technique T1537, which involves Data Transfer via Cloud Infrastructure if the location data is subsequently uploaded by a malicious app, though the primary flaw here is local unauthorized read access consistent with CWE-284 Improper Access Control. The fix emphasizes the importance of robust input validation and strict enforcement of security policies at the operating system level to prevent applications from exceeding their granted privileges. Continuous monitoring for anomalous behavior in location service APIs remains critical as attackers may attempt to develop new exploitation methods targeting similar subsystems if this specific vector is patched but others remain open.