CVE-2026-20612: macOS Information Disclosure Vulnerability

CVE-2026-20612 Overview

CVE-2026-20612 is a privacy vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Apple macOS that allows malicious applications to access sensitive user data due to insufficient privacy checks. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation mechanisms that fail to properly enforce data access restrictions, potentially enabling unauthorized access to protected user information.

Critical Impact

A malicious application running on an affected macOS system can bypass privacy protections to access sensitive user data without proper authorization, compromising user privacy and potentially exposing personal information.

Affected Products

• macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.7.4
• macOS Tahoe versions prior to 26.3
• macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.8.4

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-11 - CVE-2026-20612 published to NVD
• 2026-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-20612

Vulnerability Analysis

This information disclosure vulnerability (CWE-200) affects Apple's macOS privacy framework, which is responsible for enforcing application-level access controls to sensitive user data. The vulnerability allows applications to circumvent the built-in privacy checks that normally prevent unauthorized access to protected information.

The attack requires local access to the system and user interaction, such as the user launching a malicious application. Once executed, the malicious app can exploit the insufficient privacy checks to read sensitive data that should be restricted by macOS's privacy protections. This could include personal files, application data, or other protected user information that macOS's Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) framework is designed to protect.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-20612 lies in insufficient validation within macOS's privacy check mechanisms. The operating system failed to properly verify application permissions before granting access to protected user data resources. This improper access control allowed applications to bypass the intended security boundaries and access data without triggering the standard permission dialogs or consent mechanisms that macOS employs to protect user privacy.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction. An attacker would need to deliver a malicious application to the target system and convince the user to execute it. The attack scenario typically involves:

1. The attacker creates a malicious macOS application designed to exploit the privacy check weakness
2. The application is distributed to the victim via phishing, malicious downloads, or compromised software distribution channels
3. Upon execution, the application bypasses normal privacy restrictions
4. Sensitive user data becomes accessible to the malicious application without triggering standard macOS privacy consent dialogs

The vulnerability does not allow remote exploitation and requires the attacker to achieve code execution on the target system through the malicious application.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-20612

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual application access to protected data directories such as ~/Documents, ~/Desktop, or application-specific data folders without corresponding TCC database entries
• Applications accessing sensitive data without triggering standard macOS privacy permission prompts
• Unexpected file access events from applications that should not have TCC permissions

Detection Strategies

• Monitor the TCC database (/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db) for anomalous entries or access patterns
• Review system logs for applications accessing protected resources without proper entitlements
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify applications attempting to access sensitive directories without user consent
• Deploy behavior-based detection to identify applications exhibiting suspicious data access patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for file system access events, particularly for protected user data directories
• Monitor for applications running without proper code signatures or with suspicious entitlements
• Implement alerting for bulk data access or exfiltration patterns from protected directories
• Review installed applications for unauthorized or unknown software that may attempt exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-20612

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all macOS systems to the patched versions: macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Tahoe 26.3, or macOS Sonoma 14.8.4
• Review installed applications and remove any untrusted or unknown software
• Audit TCC permissions granted to applications and revoke unnecessary access
• Implement application allowlisting to prevent execution of unauthorized applications

Patch Information

Apple has addressed this vulnerability through improved privacy checks in the following macOS releases:

• macOS Sequoia 15.7.4 - See Apple Support Advisory #126348
• macOS Tahoe 26.3 - See Apple Support Advisory #126349
• macOS Sonoma 14.8.4 - See Apple Support Advisory #126350

Organizations should prioritize deploying these updates through their standard patch management processes.

Workarounds

• Restrict users from installing applications from untrusted sources by enforcing Gatekeeper settings
• Enable "App Store Only" in Security & Privacy settings to limit application installation to vetted software
• Implement endpoint protection solutions to detect and block malicious applications before execution
• Consider disabling or restricting access to sensitive data for non-essential applications pending patch deployment

# Verify macOS version and check for updates
sw_vers -productVersion

# Check for available software updates
softwareupdate --list

# Install all available security updates
sudo softwareupdate --install --all

# Verify Gatekeeper is enabled
spctl --status