CVE-2026-43788 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
An integer overflow was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27. Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability described involves an integer overflow condition within the software processing logic, specifically affecting versions prior to macOS Golden Gate 27. Integer overflows occur when an arithmetic operation results in a value that exceeds the maximum capacity of the allocated data type, causing it to wrap around to a negative number or a very small positive number. In this context, the application fails to perform adequate input validation on user-supplied data before conducting mathematical calculations related to memory allocation or buffer sizing. This lack of rigorous boundary checking allows an attacker to manipulate internal variables in a way that misleads the system into allocating insufficient memory for a given operation.
The technical flaw stems from the absence of robust checks against arithmetic overflow during the processing of file inputs. When a maliciously crafted file is processed, it can trigger this integer miscalculation, leading to two primary adverse outcomes depending on how the flawed value is utilized by subsequent functions. First, if the system attempts to allocate memory based on an incorrectly calculated size that wraps around to zero or a minimal value, but then proceeds to write data assuming a larger buffer exists, it results in a heap-based buffer overflow. This corruption of adjacent memory structures typically causes the application to crash immediately, resulting in a denial-of-service condition where legitimate users are unable to access the affected functionality.
Secondly, and more critically, if the flawed integer value is used as an index or offset for reading data from memory without proper bounds checking, it can lead to out-of-bounds reads. This scenario allows an attacker to read arbitrary sections of the application's memory space that should remain inaccessible. Such information disclosure vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they may expose sensitive cryptographic keys, authentication tokens, passwords, or other confidential user data stored in the process memory. The ability to leak these contents can facilitate further attacks, including privilege escalation or session hijacking, thereby compromising the integrity and confidentiality of the system.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers such as CWE-190 for Integer Overflow or Wraparound and CWE-787 for Out-of-bounds Write if it leads to memory corruption, or CWE-125 for Out-of-bounds Read in cases of information disclosure. From a threat modeling perspective, this behavior is consistent with techniques observed in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under data exfiltration via local file access or command and control channels that rely on exploiting application crashes to gather intelligence about the target environment. The exploitation requires the user to open or process a specifically crafted malicious file, indicating that social engineering or drive-by download mechanisms might be necessary for initial compromise in many deployment scenarios.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve upgrading to macOS Golden Gate 27 or later versions where this issue has been resolved through improved input validation and stricter type checking during arithmetic operations. Developers should implement defensive programming practices such as using safe integer libraries that detect overflows before they occur, validating all external inputs against expected ranges, and employing compiler flags like -fstack-protector to mitigate the impact of any remaining memory corruption vulnerabilities. Additionally, enabling Address Sanitizer (ASan) or similar runtime error detection tools during development can help identify such logic errors early in the software lifecycle. For end-users, maintaining up-to-date operating systems is the most effective defense against these types of application-layer exploits that rely on specific processing flaws within system utilities and file handlers.