CVE-2026-32323: CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element in mullvad mullvadvpn-app
Mullvad VPN is a VPN client app for desktop and mobile. When using macOS with versions 2026.1 and below, Mullvad VPN may allow local privilege escalation during installation or upgrade. The installer package executes binaries from /Applications/Mullvad VPN.app without verifying if the bundle is attacker-controlled or that the path is the legitimate Mullvad application. A user in the admin group can pre-place a crafted application bundle at that location and may be able to achieve code execution as root. Since the issue only affected the installer, there is no immediate need for users to update if they are already running an older version. This issue has been fixed in version 2026.2-beta1.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
Mullvad VPN for macOS versions 2026.1 and earlier contain an uncontrolled search path element vulnerability (CWE-427) in the installer. The installer executes binaries from /Applications/Mullvad VPN.app without verifying if the bundle is legitimate or attacker-controlled. A local user in the admin group can exploit this by pre-placing a crafted application bundle at that path, leading to local privilege escalation and code execution as root. This vulnerability is addressed in version 2026.2-beta1.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a local user with administrative privileges to escalate to root privileges during the installation or upgrade process by executing attacker-controlled code. This can lead to full system compromise. However, the vulnerability is limited to the installer and does not affect the running VPN application itself. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available in Mullvad VPN version 2026.2-beta1. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability. Since the issue only affects the installer, users who are already running an older version without reinstalling are not immediately vulnerable. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.
CVE-2026-32323: CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element in mullvad mullvadvpn-app
Description
Mullvad VPN is a VPN client app for desktop and mobile. When using macOS with versions 2026.1 and below, Mullvad VPN may allow local privilege escalation during installation or upgrade. The installer package executes binaries from /Applications/Mullvad VPN.app without verifying if the bundle is attacker-controlled or that the path is the legitimate Mullvad application. A user in the admin group can pre-place a crafted application bundle at that location and may be able to achieve code execution as root. Since the issue only affected the installer, there is no immediate need for users to update if they are already running an older version. This issue has been fixed in version 2026.2-beta1.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.3high
Affected software
pkg:github/mullvad/mullvadvpn-appRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
Mullvad VPN for macOS versions 2026.1 and earlier contain an uncontrolled search path element vulnerability (CWE-427) in the installer. The installer executes binaries from /Applications/Mullvad VPN.app without verifying if the bundle is legitimate or attacker-controlled. A local user in the admin group can exploit this by pre-placing a crafted application bundle at that path, leading to local privilege escalation and code execution as root. This vulnerability is addressed in version 2026.2-beta1.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a local user with administrative privileges to escalate to root privileges during the installation or upgrade process by executing attacker-controlled code. This can lead to full system compromise. However, the vulnerability is limited to the installer and does not affect the running VPN application itself. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available in Mullvad VPN version 2026.2-beta1. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability. Since the issue only affects the installer, users who are already running an older version without reinstalling are not immediately vulnerable. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-03-11T21:16:21.661Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a0bbb23ec166c07b029a35a
Added to database: 05/19/2026, 01:21:39 UTC
Last enriched: 05/26/2026, 08:22:11 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:22:58 UTC
Views: 130
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