CVE-2026-26224 identifies a critical local privilege escalation vulnerability in Intego Log Reporter, a macOS diagnostic utility included with Intego security products. The root cause is a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition classified under CWE-367. Specifically, a diagnostic script running with root privileges creates and writes files in the /tmp directory without secure directory handling, such as verifying the absence of symlinks or using safe file creation flags. This insecure handling allows a local unprivileged user to exploit a symlink-based race condition by quickly replacing or creating symbolic links in /tmp, redirecting file writes to arbitrary privileged system locations. Consequently, the attacker can overwrite critical system files or configuration files, leading to privilege escalation to root. The vulnerability requires local access but no authentication or user interaction beyond local presence. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N) reflects that the attack vector is local, with low complexity, no authentication required, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patches or exploit code are currently publicly available, but the vulnerability's nature makes it a significant risk for macOS systems running Intego Log Reporter.

The primary impact of this vulnerability is local privilege escalation, allowing an attacker with limited user privileges to gain root-level access on affected macOS systems. This can lead to complete system compromise, including unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, disabling of security controls, and disruption of system availability. Organizations relying on Intego security products for endpoint protection or diagnostics may find their systems vulnerable to insider threats or attackers who have gained initial footholds through other means. The ability to escalate privileges locally can facilitate lateral movement within networks and undermine trust in affected devices. Given the high CVSS score and the critical nature of root access, this vulnerability poses a serious risk to enterprise environments, especially those with sensitive data or regulatory compliance requirements.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should: 1) Monitor Intego's official channels for patches or updates addressing CVE-2026-26224 and apply them promptly once available. 2) Until patches are released, restrict local user access on macOS systems running Intego Log Reporter to trusted personnel only. 3) Employ file system monitoring tools to detect suspicious symlink creation or modification activities in the /tmp directory. 4) Use macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) to limit the ability of processes to modify critical system files, although SIP may not fully prevent this exploit if the vulnerable script runs with root privileges. 5) Consider temporarily disabling or uninstalling Intego Log Reporter if it is not essential, to eliminate the attack surface. 6) Implement strict endpoint security policies and user privilege management to minimize the risk of local exploitation. 7) Conduct regular audits and penetration testing focusing on local privilege escalation vectors to identify and remediate similar issues proactively.