VulnerabilityPublished 25 Mar 2026Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2026-28823: Apple macOS · Improper Access Control

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.9 Medium : upgrade to 26.4 when convenient.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.9Medium

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

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 23% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 26.4

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
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: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: High: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide significant (e.g., administrative) control over the vulnerable component that could affect component-wide settings and files.
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 25 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 30 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.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), 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.

What to do

Upgrade Apple macOS to 26.4.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
ApplemacOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-28823, organizations should promptly apply the macOS Tahoe 26.4 update, which contains the fix for the path validation issue. Beyond patching, it is critical to audit all applications and scripts running with root privileges to ensure they do not have unnecessary elevated permissions that could be exploited. Implement strict privilege management policies to limit root access only to trusted processes and users. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions that monitor and restrict unauthorized file system modifications, especially targeting protected system files. Regularly review system logs for unusual file deletion activities and set up alerts for suspicious behavior involving critical system directories. Additionally, consider implementing mandatory access controls (MAC) or sandboxing techniques to isolate high-privilege applications and reduce the risk of abuse. Educate system administrators and users about the risks of running untrusted software with root privileges. Finally, maintain comprehensive backups of system files to enable recovery in case of malicious deletion.

Description

A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.4. An app with root privileges may be able to delete protected system files.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-28823 is on confidentiality, as an attacker or malicious application with root privileges could delete protected system files, potentially exposing sensitive information or disrupting system security mechanisms. Although integrity and availability are not directly impacted according to the CVSS vector, deletion of critical system files could lead to system instability or failure, indirectly affecting availability. Organizations relying on macOS for critical operations, especially those that run root-level applications or scripts, face risks of unauthorized data exposure or system compromise. The requirement for root privileges limits the scope of exploitation to scenarios where an attacker has already gained elevated access, but it also means that any malicious insider or compromised privileged process could leverage this vulnerability. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits targeting this flaw. Enterprises with macOS endpoints in sensitive environments such as finance, healthcare, government, and technology sectors are particularly at risk due to the potential impact on system confidentiality and operational security.

CWE-284Improper Access Control (opens in a new tab)
Pillar weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #19OWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
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 Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Embedding Scripts within Scripts (opens in a new tab)
Modification of Windows Service Configuration (opens in a new tab)
Malicious Root Certificate (opens in a new tab)
Intent Spoof (opens in a new tab)
WebView Exposure (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

support.apple.com/en-us/126794 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 03:06 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-284

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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