VulnerabilityPublished 11 Feb 2026Updated 21 Aug 2026

CVE-2026-20630: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access protected user data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 26.3 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 26.3, 15.7.4, 14.8.4

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

ghsa-3ww4-528c-xcv7

What to do

Upgrade Apple macOS to 26.3, 15.7.4 or 14.8.4.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
ApplemacOS	Affected <26.3	Fixed in 26.3
ApplemacOS	Affected <15.7.4	Fixed in 15.7.4
ApplemacOS	Affected <14.8.4	Fixed in 14.8.4

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-20630, organizations should prioritize updating all affected macOS systems to version Tahoe 26.3 or later, where the vulnerability is patched with enhanced permission restrictions. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict endpoint security policies to limit local access to trusted users only, including the use of strong authentication and account management practices. Employing application whitelisting can reduce the risk of malicious or unauthorized apps running with low privileges. Regular auditing of app permissions and monitoring for unusual local access attempts can help detect exploitation attempts early. Additionally, implementing data encryption and access controls at the file system level can provide defense-in-depth to protect sensitive data even if an app attempts unauthorized access. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of installing untrusted applications and maintain up-to-date security configurations to minimize attack surfaces.

Description

A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, macOS Tahoe 26.3. An app may be able to access protected user data.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-20630 is the unauthorized disclosure of protected user data on affected macOS systems. Since the vulnerability allows an app with low privileges to bypass intended access controls, sensitive information such as personal files, credentials, or other protected data could be exposed. This compromises confidentiality but does not affect data integrity or system availability. Organizations relying on macOS devices, especially those handling sensitive or regulated data, face increased risk of data breaches or insider threats if this vulnerability is exploited. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in environments where endpoint security is weak or where malicious insiders or compromised local accounts exist. The absence of user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation once local access is gained. Overall, the vulnerability could facilitate data leakage, privacy violations, and potential compliance issues for organizations worldwide.

CWE-277Insecure Inherited Permissions (opens in a new tab)
Variant weakness
A product defines a set of insecure permissions that are inherited by objects that are created by the program.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area.
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.8 (opens in a new tab)
V13.4.2 (opens in a new tab)
V7.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 02:51 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-277

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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