{"id":"CVE-2026-112438","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-112438"],"related":[],"title":"macOS: a logic flaw lets an unprivileged user run code as root","description":"A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27.2, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. An unprivileged attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code as root.","summary":"Apple fixed a logic issue in macOS state management that an unprivileged local user may exploit. Successful exploitation would let that user execute arbitrary code with root privileges.","severity":"high","cvss":null,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["endpoints","infrastructure","macos","shared-mac"],"not_affected_if":["patched-macos"],"how_to_check":"- Run `sw_vers -productVersion` and compare against the fixed builds listed in the fix section.\n- Check Software Update in System Settings for pending macOS security updates.","fix":"- Update macOS to `27.2` (Golden Gate), `15.8.2` (Sequoia), or `26.7.2` (Tahoe), or later.","status":"open","published_at":"2026-10-26T21:17:33+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-26T21:20:25+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-26T21:31:39+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-26T21:31:39+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-26T21:31:39Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"- Update macOS to `27.2` (Golden Gate), `15.8.2` (Sequoia), or `26.7.2` (Tahoe), or later.","reach":"local","title":"macOS: a logic flaw lets an unprivileged user run code as root","impact":"high","summary":"Apple fixed a logic issue in macOS state management that an unprivileged local user may exploit. Successful exploitation would let that user execute arbitrary code with root privileges.","category":"infrastructure","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["macos","endpoints","shared-mac"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"Unprivileged local user gains root and runs arbitrary code.","analyst_note":"Confirm the Apple security release notes for CVE-2026-112438 to verify affected version ranges and whether exploitation requires user interaction.","how_to_check":"- Run `sw_vers -productVersion` and compare against the fixed builds listed in the fix section.\n- Check Software Update in System Settings for pending macOS security updates.","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["patched-macos"],"who_is_affected":"Any Mac running an unpatched macOS release in the affected lines is exposed, as the attacker only needs a local unprivileged account on the machine. Systems already on the fixed versions or later are not affected. The sources do not describe a specific configuration or feature that must be enabled.","user_interaction":"unknown","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.00059,"input_tokens":3277,"output_tokens":525,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-112438':15A,18A '-2026':14A,17A '15.8.2':73C '26.7.2':76C '27.2':70C 'abl':82C 'address':57C 'appl':25B 'arbitrari':48B,85C 'attack':79C 'code':10A,49B,86C 'cve':13A,16A 'endpoint':19B 'execut':47B,84C 'exploit':40B,42B 'fix':26B,65C 'flaw':4A 'gate':69C 'golden':68C 'improv':59C 'infrastructur':20B 'issu':29B,55C,63C 'let':5A,44B 'local':37B 'logic':3A,28B,54C 'mac':24B 'maco':1A,21B,31B,67C,71C,74C 'manag':33B,61C 'may':39B,80C 'privileg':52B 'root':12A,51B,88C 'run':9A 'sequoia':72C 'share':23B 'shared-mac':22B 'state':32B,60C 'success':41B 'taho':75C 'unprivileg':7A,36B,78C 'user':8A,38B,46B 'would':43B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Any Mac running an unpatched macOS release in the affected lines is exposed, as the attacker only needs a local unprivileged account on the machine. Systems already on the fixed versions or later are not affected. The sources do not describe a specific configuration or feature that must be enabled.","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-10-26T21:17:33+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":null,"cvss_by":null,"poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2026-112438","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-112438","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-10-26T21:17:33+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-26T21:17:33+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-26T21:20:25+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-26T21:20:25+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}