CVE-2026-43698

Undergoing Analysis Undergoing Analysis - In Progress

Improper Input Validation Leads to Root Privilege Escalation in macOS

Publication date: 2026-07-27

Last updated on: 2026-07-29

Assigner: Apple Inc.

Description

An injection issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8. An app may be able to gain root privileges.

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-2026-43698

EUVD

EUVD-2026-49533

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-88	The product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an injection issue caused by insufficient input validation. It allows an attacker to inject malicious code into an application, potentially gaining root privileges on the affected system. The issue was fixed in specific macOS versions.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to Apple macOS systems and involves an injection issue that could allow root privilege escalation. Detection requires checking the installed macOS version against the patched versions mentioned in the advisory.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on your system. This could lead to complete system compromise, unauthorized data access, or installation of malicious software.

Compliance Impact

The vulnerability allows an app to gain root privileges, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data. This may impact compliance with GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health data privacy) by increasing the risk of data breaches or unauthorized processing.

Mitigation Strategies

Update affected macOS versions to the latest patched releases: macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, or macOS Tahoe 26.6 to address the root privilege escalation issue.

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