CVE-2026-28982 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/28/2026
A race condition was addressed with improved locking. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.6. A remote user may be able to cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2026
This vulnerability represents a classic race condition flaw that was resolved through enhanced locking mechanisms within the operating system kernel. The issue stems from insufficient synchronization controls during concurrent access to shared resources, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit timing discrepancies in system operations. The vulnerability affects multiple macOS versions including Sequoia 15.7.8, Sonoma 14.8.8, and Tahoe 26.6, indicating a widespread impact across the macOS ecosystem. According to CWE-362, this represents a race condition weakness where two or more threads can access shared data concurrently, leading to unpredictable behavior when one thread modifies the data while another is reading it.
The technical implications of this vulnerability are severe as it provides potential for remote code execution through system termination or kernel memory corruption. Attackers could leverage this flaw to cause unexpected system crashes or manipulate kernel memory structures, potentially escalating privileges and gaining unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The race condition likely occurs during critical kernel operations where proper mutex or semaphore locking was insufficient to prevent concurrent access patterns that could lead to memory corruption. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in the operating system or applications to gain elevated privileges and execute malicious code.
The operational impact extends beyond simple system instability as this flaw could enable persistent threats to establish footholds within targeted systems. Remote exploitation capabilities mean that attackers do not require physical access or local credentials to potentially compromise affected systems. The fix implemented through improved locking mechanisms addresses the root cause by ensuring proper synchronization between concurrent processes accessing shared kernel resources. System administrators should prioritize patching affected macOS versions as the vulnerability could be exploited by sophisticated threat actors seeking to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within corporate networks.
Organizations should conduct immediate inventory checks to identify all systems running vulnerable macOS versions and implement patch management procedures to ensure timely deployment of security updates. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of robust concurrency control mechanisms in operating system kernels, where even seemingly minor synchronization issues can result in significant security implications. Continuous monitoring for exploitation attempts and maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence regarding similar race condition vulnerabilities will help organizations better protect their macOS environments against potential adversaries targeting these system-level flaws.