CVE-2026-28981

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Buffer Overflow in macOS Leading to Arbitrary Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-07-27

Last updated on: 2026-07-29

Assigner: Apple Inc.

Description

A buffer overflow was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.6. Processing a maliciously crafted image may lead to arbitrary code execution.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-07-27

Last Modified

2026-07-29

Generated

2026-08-17

AI Q&A

2026-07-28

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-15

NVD

CVE-2026-28981

EUVD

EUVD-2026-49468

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
apple	macos	From 14.0 (inc) to 14.8.8 (exc)
apple	macos	From 15.0 (inc) to 15.7.8 (exc)
apple	macos	From 26.0 (inc) to 26.6 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-120	The product copies an input buffer to an output buffer without verifying that the size of the input buffer is less than the size of the output buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a buffer overflow issue caused by insufficient bounds checking when processing images. A maliciously crafted image could exploit this to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is related to a buffer overflow in macOS image processing. Detection primarily involves checking your macOS version against the patched versions (macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.6). Use the command 'sw_vers' to check your current macOS version. If your version is below these, the system is vulnerable.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to run arbitrary code on your device, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or system compromise. It specifically affects macOS systems when processing malicious images.

Compliance Impact

The provided CVE data does not specify any direct impact on compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. The vulnerability involves a buffer overflow in macOS versions that could allow arbitrary code execution when processing malicious images.

Mitigation Strategies

Update macOS to the latest patched versions: Sequoia 15.7.8, Sonoma 14.8.8, or Tahoe 26.6 to address the buffer overflow issue.

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