VulnerabilityPublished 25 Mar 2026Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2026-28831: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access sensitive user data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 26.4 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 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 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 26.4, 15.7.5, 14.8.5

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 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, 15.7.5 or 14.8.5.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
ApplemacOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4
ApplemacOS	Affected <15.7.5	Fixed in 15.7.5
ApplemacOS	Affected <14.8.5	Fixed in 14.8.5

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-28831, organizations should immediately deploy the security updates released by Apple for macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.5, and Tahoe 26.4, which contain the necessary fixes for improved authorization state management. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict endpoint security controls to limit local access to trusted users and applications only. Implement application whitelisting and monitor for unauthorized or suspicious app installations that could exploit this vulnerability. Employ robust user privilege management to minimize the number of accounts with local access and low privileges that could be leveraged. Regularly audit system logs and user activity to detect anomalous access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, educate users about the risks of installing untrusted software and maintain up-to-date backups to mitigate potential data loss from related attacks. For high-security environments, consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying attempts to access sensitive data improperly.

Description

An authorization issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-28831 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user data on affected macOS systems. Organizations relying on macOS for critical operations, especially those handling confidential or regulated data, may face data confidentiality breaches if this vulnerability is exploited. Although the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the exposure of sensitive information can lead to privacy violations, intellectual property theft, and compliance issues with data protection regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. The requirement for local access and low privileges limits remote exploitation but raises concerns in environments where endpoint security is weak or where insider threats exist. The lack of user interaction requirement means exploitation can occur stealthily, increasing the risk of unnoticed data leakage. Overall, this vulnerability could undermine trust in macOS security if not promptly addressed, particularly in sectors like finance, healthcare, government, and technology.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 03:08 UTC

Technical details

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