{"id":"CVE-2026-84545","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-84545"],"related":[],"title":"macOS: use-after-free lets a sandboxed app escape and run as root","description":"A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8.2, macOS Tahoe 26.7.2. An app with App Sandbox restrictions may be able to escape the sandbox and execute code with root privileges.","summary":"A use-after-free memory bug in macOS lets an app under App Sandbox restrictions break out of the sandbox. The attacker can then run code with root privileges.","severity":"high","cvss":null,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["endpoints","fleet-management","infrastructure","macos"],"not_affected_if":["fully-patched-macos"],"how_to_check":"- Check the macOS version with `sw_vers -productVersion` and compare it to the fixed builds listed in the sources.\n- Check whether Apple's security update list shows the patch installed under Software Update.","fix":"- Update macOS to `27` (Golden Gate), `15.8.2` (Sequoia), or `26.7.2` (Tahoe), or a later release.","status":"open","published_at":"2026-10-26T21:20:06+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-26T21:55:21+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-26T21:57:14+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-26T21:57:14+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-26T21:57:14Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"- Update macOS to `27` (Golden Gate), `15.8.2` (Sequoia), or `26.7.2` (Tahoe), or a later release.","reach":"local","title":"macOS: use-after-free lets a sandboxed app escape and run as root","impact":"high","summary":"A use-after-free memory bug in macOS lets an app under App Sandbox restrictions break out of the sandbox. The attacker can then run code with root privileges.","category":"infrastructure","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["macos","endpoints","fleet-management"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"unknown","worst_case":"Sandboxed app runs code as root on the Mac.","analyst_note":"Check Apple's security release notes for CVE-2026-84545 to confirm the affected component, the attack prerequisites and whether exploitation has been seen.","how_to_check":"- Check the macOS version with `sw_vers -productVersion` and compare it to the fixed builds listed in the sources.\n- Check whether Apple's security update list shows the patch installed under Software Update.","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["fully-patched-macos"],"who_is_affected":"Any Mac running an macOS release older than the fixed versions is exposed, because the flaw is in the operating system itself rather than in a third-party app. The sources do not say whether a non-default setting is needed, so treat all unpatched Macs as affected. Managed fleets should prioritise machines that run untrusted or sandboxed apps.","user_interaction":"unknown","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000607,"input_tokens":3289,"output_tokens":556,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2026':16A,19A '-84545':17A,20A '15.8.2':79C '26.7.2':82C '27':76C 'abl':91C 'address':63C 'app':9A,38B,40B,84C,86C 'attack':49B 'break':43B 'bug':33B 'code':53B,98C 'cve':15A,18A 'endpoint':21B 'escap':10A,93C 'execut':97C 'fix':71C 'fleet':23B 'fleet-manag':22B 'free':5A,31B,60C 'gate':75C 'golden':74C 'improv':65C 'infrastructur':25B 'issu':61C,69C 'let':6A,36B 'maco':1A,26B,35B,73C,77C,80C 'manag':24B,67C 'may':89C 'memori':32B,66C 'privileg':56B,101C 'restrict':42B,88C 'root':14A,55B,100C 'run':12A,52B 'sandbox':8A,41B,47B,87C,95C 'sequoia':78C 'taho':81C 'use':3A,29B,58C 'use-after-fre':2A,28B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Any Mac running an macOS release older than the fixed versions is exposed, because the flaw is in the operating system itself rather than in a third-party app. The sources do not say whether a non-default setting is needed, so treat all unpatched Macs as affected. Managed fleets should prioritise machines that run untrusted or sandboxed apps.","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-10-26T21:20:06+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":null,"cvss_by":null,"poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2026-84545","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-84545","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-10-26T21:20:06+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-26T21:20:06+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-26T21:55:21+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-26T21:55:21+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"}