CVE-2026-28816
Received Received - Intake
Path Validation Flaw in macOS Allows Unauthorized File Deletion

Publication date: 2026-03-25

Last updated on: 2026-03-26

Assigner: Apple Inc.

Description
A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. 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 delete files for which it does not have permission.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-03-25
Last Modified
2026-03-26
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-03-25
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-28816
EUVD
EUVD-2026-15077
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
apple macos From 14.0 (inc) to 14.8.5 (exc)
apple macos From 15.0 (inc) to 15.7.5 (exc)
apple macos From 26.0 (inc) to 26.4 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-22 The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a path handling issue in certain versions of macOS (Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.5, Tahoe 26.4) that was addressed by improving validation. Due to this issue, an application may be able to delete files for which it does not have permission.

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability could allow an application to delete files without having the proper permissions. This could lead to unauthorized data loss or disruption of important files on the affected macOS systems.

Compliance Impact

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Detection Guidance

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Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, update your macOS system to one of the fixed versions: macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, or macOS Tahoe 26.4.

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