CVE-2026-20624 is an injection vulnerability identified in Apple macOS that allows a malicious application to access sensitive user data due to insufficient input validation. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-863, which relates to improper authorization, indicating that the app can bypass intended access controls. The issue affects multiple macOS versions before the security updates released in Sequoia 15.7.4, Tahoe 26.3, and Sonoma 14.8.4. Exploitation requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R), with the scope unchanged (S:U). The impact is high on confidentiality (C:H) but does not affect integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). This means an attacker can potentially read sensitive data without altering or disrupting system operations. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability poses a risk if a malicious app is installed and executed by the user. The flaw was addressed by Apple through improved validation mechanisms to prevent unauthorized data access. The vulnerability underscores the importance of strict input validation and authorization checks within macOS to protect user data from unauthorized applications.

The primary impact of CVE-2026-20624 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user data on affected macOS systems. Organizations relying on macOS devices for handling confidential information, including enterprises, government agencies, and individuals, may face privacy breaches if a malicious app exploits this vulnerability. Although exploitation requires user interaction and local access, the risk remains significant in environments where users may install untrusted applications or where attackers have physical or remote access to user sessions. The vulnerability does not compromise system integrity or availability, limiting its impact to confidentiality. However, exposure of sensitive data can lead to further attacks such as identity theft, corporate espionage, or regulatory non-compliance penalties. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future exploitation. Organizations with high-value data on macOS platforms should prioritize patching to mitigate this threat.

1. Immediately apply the security updates provided by Apple for macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, Tahoe 26.3, and Sonoma 14.8.4 to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Restrict installation of applications to trusted sources such as the Apple App Store or enterprise-approved software repositories to reduce the risk of malicious apps. 3. Implement strict application whitelisting policies and use macOS security features like Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection (SIP) to prevent unauthorized app execution. 4. Educate users about the risks of installing untrusted software and the importance of cautious interaction with app prompts to minimize user interaction exploitation. 5. Monitor macOS systems for unusual application behavior or unauthorized access attempts to detect potential exploitation early. 6. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions tailored for macOS to enhance visibility and response capabilities. 7. Regularly audit installed applications and remove any that are unnecessary or suspicious. 8. For organizations, enforce least privilege principles and consider network segmentation to limit the impact of compromised endpoints.