CVE-2026-112577 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
A privacy issue was addressed by moving sensitive data. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27.2. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The vulnerability described relates to a privacy bypass within the macOS operating system, specifically resolved in version 27.2 under the Golden Gate security framework. The core issue stems from an improper handling of sensitive user data by applications running on the platform. In this context, the flaw allows an application to access information that should be restricted or protected by default permissions and privacy controls enforced by the operating system. This represents a failure in the enforcement of data isolation boundaries between different software components and the underlying OS security mechanisms.
From a technical perspective, this issue aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor. The root cause likely involves insufficient validation or filtering of requests made by applications when attempting to read specific system resources or user files. Instead of denying access based on the application's declared permissions and privacy settings, the operating system inadvertently granted broader access rights than intended. This type of flaw is often associated with improper privilege management or a lack of strict enforcement of sandboxing policies that are designed to limit an app's view into other parts of the file system or user data stores.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for end-users, as it compromises their privacy and potentially exposes personal information such as contacts, photos, messages, or location history depending on what specific sensitive data was accessible. An attacker could exploit this flaw by crafting a malicious application that leverages the misconfiguration to silently harvest user data without explicit consent or clear indication in the system's permission dialogs. This undermines trust in the macOS ecosystem and violates fundamental principles of data minimization and purpose limitation defined in privacy frameworks like GDPR, as users are not adequately informed about what data is being accessed by third-party software.
To mitigate this risk, it is imperative that all systems running affected versions of macOS be updated to version 27.2 or later where the fix for Golden Gate has been implemented. This update ensures that the privacy controls and access restrictions are correctly enforced at the kernel level. Additionally, users should exercise caution when installing applications from untrusted sources and review app permissions regularly through system settings. Developers must also adhere to strict security best practices by requesting only the minimum necessary privileges required for their application's functionality and rigorously testing their software against macOS privacy guidelines before distribution. This incident highlights the continuous need for robust enforcement of sandboxing mechanisms in modern operating systems to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration.