CVE-2026-39871: An app may be able to observe unprotected user data in Apple macOS
CVE-2026-39871 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple macOS where an application may be able to observe unprotected user data due to a path handling issue. This issue has been addressed with improved logic in macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, and macOS Tahoe 26.5. The vulnerability does not affect cloud services and there are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability involves a path handling flaw in Apple macOS that could allow an application to access unprotected user data. The issue is classified under CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties). Apple has fixed the problem by improving the path handling logic in specific macOS versions: Sequoia 15.7.7, Sonoma 14.8.7, and Tahoe 26.5. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and impacts confidentiality but not integrity or availability.
Potential Impact
An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to observe sensitive user data that should be protected, potentially leading to unauthorized data disclosure. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability. There are no known exploits in the wild currently.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available in macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, and macOS Tahoe 26.5. Users and administrators should update affected macOS installations to these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. Since this is not a cloud service, remediation depends on applying these official patches.
CVE-2026-39871: An app may be able to observe unprotected user data in Apple macOS
Description
CVE-2026-39871 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple macOS where an application may be able to observe unprotected user data due to a path handling issue. This issue has been addressed with improved logic in macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, and macOS Tahoe 26.5. The vulnerability does not affect cloud services and there are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability involves a path handling flaw in Apple macOS that could allow an application to access unprotected user data. The issue is classified under CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties). Apple has fixed the problem by improving the path handling logic in specific macOS versions: Sequoia 15.7.7, Sonoma 14.8.7, and Tahoe 26.5. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and impacts confidentiality but not integrity or availability.
Potential Impact
An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to observe sensitive user data that should be protected, potentially leading to unauthorized data disclosure. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability. There are no known exploits in the wild currently.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available in macOS Sequoia 15.7.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8.7, and macOS Tahoe 26.5. Users and administrators should update affected macOS installations to these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. Since this is not a cloud service, remediation depends on applying these official patches.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- apple
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-07T19:58:20.173Z
- Cvss Version
- null
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a028763cbff5d86108b682d
Added to database: 05/12/2026, 01:50:27 UTC
Last enriched: 05/19/2026, 11:03:48 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:22:58 UTC
Views: 90
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.