CVE-2026-119250 in WiFiman Desktop
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
A malicious actor with local access and low privileges could exploit an External Control of File Name or Path vulnerability found in WiFiman Desktop for macOS to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the host device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The identified vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within the WiFiman Desktop application for macOS, specifically categorized as CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, often manifesting through insecure temporary file handling or path manipulation techniques. This External Control of File Name or Path issue allows an attacker who has already established local access with low privileges on the target system to manipulate how the application interacts with the filesystem. By exploiting this flaw, the malicious actor can trick the WiFiman process into writing to or reading from a location that is not strictly controlled by the developer's intended security boundaries. This misdirection serves as the initial vector for privilege escalation, bypassing standard user-level restrictions and allowing code execution in a context with significantly higher authority than originally granted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for arbitrary command execution with root privileges. Once an attacker successfully exploits the path manipulation flaw, they can inject malicious payloads into files that are subsequently executed by the WiFiman process running under elevated permissions or trigger system-level actions via helper tools that rely on unvalidated input paths. This effectively neutralizes macOS sandboxing and user isolation mechanisms for this specific application instance. The consequence is a complete compromise of host integrity, where an attacker can install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data stored locally, modify system configurations, or pivot to other devices within the network depending on the scope of root access granted by the compromised process.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically when combined with privilege escalation vectors such as T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation. The attack lifecycle typically involves initial access via local user compromise, followed by exploitation of the application's file handling logic to gain higher privileges, and finally command execution to achieve persistent control over the endpoint. This pattern is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where WiFiman might be deployed across multiple endpoints with varying levels of administrative oversight, potentially allowing lateral movement if root credentials or tokens are cached or reused elsewhere on the network.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary defense involves applying vendor-provided patches that enforce strict path validation and utilize secure temporary file creation practices, such as using platform-specific APIs like mkstemp which ensure atomicity and prevent race conditions associated with predictable filenames. Additionally, implementing Principle of Least Privilege is crucial; the WiFiman application should operate with minimal necessary permissions, avoiding root-level execution unless absolutely required for specific network diagnostic functions that cannot be performed by standard users. Security teams should also monitor for unusual file system activity in temporary directories and ensure that endpoint detection and response solutions are configured to alert on privilege escalation attempts involving known utility applications like WiFiman. Regular auditing of third-party software installed on macOS systems is essential to identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by local attackers.