CVE-2026-20624
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an injection vulnerability in macOS that allows malicious applications to access sensitive user data. The issue affects macOS Sequoia, Tahoe, and Sonoma versions before the patched releases. Apple has addressed this with improved input validation in the latest updates.
💻 Affected Systems
- macOS
📦 What is this software?
Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
A malicious app could access sensitive user data including personal files, credentials, or other protected information stored on the system.
Likely Case
Malicious applications distributed through unofficial channels could exploit this to harvest user data without proper authorization.
If Mitigated
With proper application sandboxing and user permission controls, exploitation would be limited to data accessible by the app's granted permissions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires a malicious application to be installed and executed on the target system. No public exploit code is currently available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Tahoe 26.3, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/126348
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Open System Settings 2. Click General 3. Click Software Update 4. Install available updates 5. Follow on-screen instructions
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Application Installation
macOSOnly install applications from trusted sources like the Mac App Store or identified developers
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application allowlisting to restrict which applications can run
- Use macOS privacy controls to limit application access to sensitive data
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version in System Settings > General > AboutCheck Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is Sequoia 15.7.4, Tahoe 26.3, or Sonoma 14.8.4 or later📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual application behavior accessing protected resources
- Unexpected permission requests from applications
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
Not applicable for this local vulnerability