CVE-2026-112575 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
The issue was addressed with improved handling of secure input state. 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 monitor keystrokes without user permission.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability described involves a flaw in the secure input state handling within Apple's operating systems, specifically affecting versions prior to macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. This issue stems from an improper management of security boundaries when applications interact with system-level input mechanisms. In a properly secured environment, the operating system enforces strict isolation between user sessions and application processes to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data such as keystrokes, passwords, or other personally identifiable information. The flaw allows certain applications to bypass these restrictions by exploiting inconsistencies in how the secure input state is tracked and enforced during specific operational sequences.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability represents a failure in enforcing proper security boundaries between processes. When an application requests access to keyboard input, particularly within contexts designated as sensitive or private, the operating system should verify that the requesting process has explicit user consent and appropriate privileges. The defect allows malicious or compromised applications to monitor keystrokes without triggering standard permission prompts or violating sandbox restrictions. This bypass of secure input mechanisms enables the interception of data intended for other processes, effectively breaking the chain of trust established by the macOS security architecture. Such behavior is characteristic of privilege escalation through improper state management rather than a traditional buffer overflow or injection attack.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, as it directly compromises user privacy and confidentiality. An attacker leveraging this flaw could capture sensitive information including login credentials, financial data, private communications, and other confidential text entered by the user. This capability transforms any application with access to the vulnerable input handling subsystem into a potential keylogger, operating invisibly in the background without alerting the user or triggering security warnings. The lack of explicit permission requirements means that even applications installed from trusted sources could potentially exploit this flaw if they are manipulated or compromised, thereby undermining the integrity of the entire system's data protection model.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control where an actor is able to bypass intended restrictions on accessing resources or performing actions. Additionally, it relates to ATT&CK technique T1056, specifically the input capture subcategory for keylogging and GUI input capturing. The exploitation of this flaw allows adversaries to establish persistence in their data collection efforts by silently harvesting credentials and sensitive information over extended periods without detection through standard security monitoring tools that rely on explicit permission denials or suspicious process behavior patterns.
Mitigation requires immediate application of the provided software updates, which address the root cause by improving how the secure input state is validated and enforced across all relevant system components. Administrators should ensure that macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, or macOS Tahoe 26.7.2 are deployed as soon as possible to close this security gap. In environments where patching cannot be immediately performed, organizations should implement strict application whitelisting policies and monitor for unusual patterns of keyboard input access by non-system processes. Enhanced endpoint detection and response solutions can also help identify applications attempting to hook into secure input streams without proper authorization, providing an additional layer of defense against exploitation until the underlying vulnerability is remediated through official updates.