CVE-2026-65380 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2026
An issue existed in the handling of snapshots. The issue was resolved with improved permissions logic. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27. An app may be able to access protected user data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2026
The vulnerability described relates to a flaw in the permission management logic governing snapshot operations within the operating system, specifically identified as being present prior to the release of macOS Golden Gate version 27. In modern computing environments, snapshots are typically used for creating point-in-time copies of file systems or virtual machine states to facilitate backup and recovery processes. However, when these mechanisms interact with user data protections, strict access controls must be enforced to ensure that only authorized entities can read or manipulate the underlying protected information. The identified issue stemmed from insufficient checks during the handling of these snapshots, allowing an application to bypass intended security boundaries and gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data that should have remained isolated from standard application contexts.
This type of vulnerability is fundamentally categorized under CWE-269, which denotes Improper Privilege Management, as it involves a failure in enforcing proper authorization checks for system resources. From the perspective of threat modeling, this aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005, Data from Local System, where an adversary exploits local application vulnerabilities to exfiltrate data without needing elevated privileges or network access initially. The core technical flaw lies in the logic that determines whether a requesting process has the requisite entitlements to interact with snapshot-related APIs when those snapshots contain protected user files. By failing to correctly validate these permissions during the snapshot creation, retrieval, or processing phases, the system inadvertently exposed data segments that were previously shielded by sandboxing rules and access control lists.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant because it compromises the confidentiality of user information stored on local devices. An attacker who can execute code within a less-privileged application could leverage this flaw to read files belonging to other users or protected system directories, effectively breaking the isolation guarantees provided by the operating system's security model. This could lead to unauthorized disclosure of personal identifiable information, financial records, or proprietary business data depending on what was stored in the affected areas. Since snapshots often contain comprehensive states of the file system, accessing them can provide a broader view of user activity and stored secrets than direct file access might allow, thereby amplifying the potential damage from a single exploitation vector.
Mitigation for this issue primarily involves updating to macOS Golden Gate 27 or later versions where the improved permissions logic has been implemented. This update corrects the underlying code paths that handle snapshot operations, ensuring that all requests are subjected to rigorous privilege verification before granting access to protected data structures. Administrators and end-users should ensure their systems are patched promptly to close this gap in security posture. Additionally, organizations should enforce least-privilege principles by auditing application entitlements and restricting which apps have permission to interact with system-level snapshot APIs. Regular monitoring for anomalous file access patterns can also help detect potential exploitation attempts while the patching process is underway across enterprise environments.