CVE-2026-43754 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/28/2026
This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.6. An app may be able to leak sensitive kernel state.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw that emerged in Apple's macOS operating system across multiple versions including Sequoia 15.7.8, Sonoma 14.8.8, and Tahoe 26.6. The issue stems from inadequate redaction mechanisms within the kernel state handling processes, allowing applications to potentially access and leak sensitive kernel information that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it exists at the kernel level where system security boundaries are most critical, creating potential pathways for malicious actors to gain deeper insights into operating system internals.
The technical implementation flaw involves insufficient sanitization of kernel memory regions during application interactions, specifically in how sensitive state information is handled when transitioning between user space and kernel space contexts. This allows applications to potentially read kernel memory locations that contain confidential data such as security tokens, cryptographic keys, or system configuration details. The vulnerability manifests through improper access controls where kernel state information that should be protected remains accessible to unprivileged applications, violating fundamental security principles of operating system design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, potentially enabling attackers to construct more sophisticated attacks by gathering intelligence about the target system's kernel configuration and memory layout. An adversary could leverage this information to develop targeted exploits against other system components or to bypass security mechanisms that rely on kernel state confidentiality. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where multiple applications run with varying privilege levels, as the vulnerability could allow privilege escalation through careful exploitation of the leaked information.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily focus on the software updates provided by Apple in the specified macOS versions, which implement enhanced redaction mechanisms and stricter kernel memory protection policies. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these patches across all affected systems immediately to prevent exploitation. Additional protective measures include implementing application whitelisting policies to limit which applications can access potentially vulnerable system interfaces, monitoring for unusual memory access patterns through endpoint detection systems, and ensuring proper network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-200 Information Exposure and CWE-362 Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization, and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1082 System Information Discovery. The remediation approach demonstrates Apple's approach to addressing kernel-level security issues through comprehensive system updates that enhance memory protection mechanisms and improve data sanitization processes.
The fix implementation involves enhanced kernel memory management routines that properly sanitize sensitive information before allowing application access, including improved memory mapping controls that prevent unauthorized kernel state viewing. These changes align with industry best practices for kernel security and help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future implementations. Organizations should conduct thorough testing of the updated systems to ensure compatibility while maintaining security posture against this specific information disclosure threat.