CVE-2026-20695 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems prior to the patched versions Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.5, and Tahoe 26.4. The vulnerability arises from insufficient protection of kernel memory layout information, allowing a local application to infer or determine the layout of kernel memory. This type of information disclosure can be leveraged by attackers to bypass kernel address space layout randomization (KASLR), a critical security mitigation that randomizes kernel memory locations to prevent reliable exploitation of kernel vulnerabilities. The flaw does not require any privileges or user interaction, but the attacker must have local access to the system. The CVSS v3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) indicates that the attack is local with low complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and results in high confidentiality impact but no impact on integrity or availability. By revealing kernel memory layout, attackers can facilitate subsequent exploitation steps such as privilege escalation or kernel code execution. Apple addressed this vulnerability by improving memory management to prevent leakage of kernel memory layout information. No public exploits or active exploitation in the wild have been reported to date. The vulnerability affects multiple macOS branches, reflecting Apple's ongoing efforts to secure different supported versions. Organizations using affected macOS versions should prioritize patching to prevent attackers from gaining critical kernel memory insights that could lead to more severe compromises.

The primary impact of CVE-2026-20695 is the disclosure of sensitive kernel memory layout information, which undermines the effectiveness of kernel address space layout randomization (KASLR). This can significantly aid attackers in crafting reliable exploits for privilege escalation or kernel-level code execution. Although the vulnerability itself does not directly allow privilege escalation or system compromise, it lowers the barrier for attackers to exploit other kernel vulnerabilities. For organizations, this means that systems running vulnerable macOS versions are at increased risk of sophisticated attacks that could lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or persistent malware infections. The impact is particularly critical in environments where local access is possible, such as shared workstations, developer machines, or systems exposed to insider threats. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability directly, the immediate operational impact may be limited, but the potential for follow-on attacks elevates the overall risk. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk of future exploitation. Organizations relying on macOS for sensitive operations, intellectual property protection, or regulated data processing should consider this vulnerability a significant security concern.

To mitigate CVE-2026-20695, organizations should promptly apply the security updates released by Apple for macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.5, and Tahoe 26.4 or later. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict local access controls to limit the ability of untrusted or unprivileged applications to run on macOS systems. Employing application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions can help prevent unauthorized code execution that might attempt to exploit this vulnerability. Monitoring for unusual local activity or attempts to probe kernel memory can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. For environments with high security requirements, consider restricting physical and remote access to macOS devices and using full disk encryption to protect data at rest. Regularly auditing installed software and running processes can help identify potentially malicious applications attempting to leverage kernel information leaks. Finally, maintain an up-to-date inventory of macOS versions in use to ensure all vulnerable systems are identified and remediated promptly.