CVE-2026-20625: Apple macOS Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2026-20625 Overview

CVE-2026-20625 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) affecting Apple's macOS and visionOS operating systems. The vulnerability stems from a parsing issue in the handling of directory paths that could allow a malicious application to bypass intended access restrictions and access sensitive user data. Apple addressed this security flaw through improved path validation mechanisms in their February 2026 security updates.

Critical Impact

A malicious application could exploit improper directory path parsing to access sensitive user data, potentially exposing private information, credentials, or confidential documents stored on affected systems.

Affected Products

• Apple macOS Sequoia (versions prior to 15.7.4)
• Apple macOS Tahoe (versions prior to 26.3)
• Apple macOS Sonoma (versions prior to 14.8.4)
• Apple visionOS (versions prior to 26.3)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-11 - CVE-2026-20625 published to NVD
• 2026-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-20625

Vulnerability Analysis

This path traversal vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of directory path inputs within macOS and visionOS. When an application constructs file paths using user-controllable input, the affected components fail to properly sanitize path traversal sequences (such as ../ or symbolic link references). This allows an attacker to craft specially formatted path strings that escape the intended directory boundaries and access files in arbitrary locations on the filesystem.

The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, meaning an attacker would need to convince a user to install and run a malicious application. Once executed, the malicious app can leverage the path parsing flaw to read sensitive user data that would normally be protected by macOS security mechanisms such as sandboxing and privacy permissions.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-20625 is improper input validation in the directory path handling logic. The vulnerable code path fails to canonicalize file paths before performing access checks, allowing path traversal sequences to be processed literally. This means that paths containing directory traversal patterns like ../../ or encoded variants are not properly normalized, enabling applications to access files outside their intended scope.

Apple's fix implements improved path validation that properly canonicalizes paths and validates them against allowed directories before granting file access.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2026-20625 is local, requiring an attacker to deliver a malicious application to the target system. The exploitation scenario typically involves:

1. An attacker creates a malicious application that appears legitimate
2. The user is convinced to download and execute the application (social engineering)
3. The malicious app constructs specially crafted file paths containing traversal sequences
4. Due to the parsing flaw, the application gains read access to sensitive user data outside its sandbox
5. The attacker exfiltrates the accessed data

The vulnerability specifically targets high-confidentiality data, as the attack enables unauthorized read access to sensitive files without requiring any special privileges.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-20625

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual file access patterns from applications attempting to read files outside their designated sandbox directories
• Applications making repeated attempts to access sensitive user data locations such as ~/Library/Keychains/, ~/Documents/, or ~/.ssh/
• Log entries showing path traversal sequences (../) in file access requests
• Unexpected network connections from applications immediately following access to sensitive file paths

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for applications accessing files using path strings containing ../ sequences or symbolic link traversals
• Implement file integrity monitoring on sensitive user data directories to detect unauthorized access attempts
• Deploy endpoint detection rules that alert on applications accessing sensitive data outside their normal operational scope
• Review system logs for privacy permission bypass attempts or sandbox escape indicators

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable macOS Unified Logging and monitor for file access events from untrusted applications
• Configure SentinelOne Singularity to detect and alert on path traversal exploitation attempts
• Implement user-space file access auditing for directories containing sensitive data
• Monitor for newly installed applications exhibiting suspicious file access behaviors

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-20625

Immediate Actions Required

• Update macOS Sequoia to version 15.7.4 or later immediately
• Update macOS Tahoe to version 26.3 or later immediately
• Update macOS Sonoma to version 14.8.4 or later immediately
• Update visionOS to version 26.3 or later immediately
• Review recently installed applications and remove any untrusted or suspicious software

Patch Information

Apple has released security updates addressing CVE-2026-20625 across multiple operating system versions. The patches implement improved path validation to prevent directory traversal attacks. Organizations should apply these updates as soon as possible to protect against potential exploitation.

For detailed patch information, refer to the official Apple Security Advisories:

• Apple Security Advisory #126348 - macOS Sequoia 15.7.4
• Apple Security Advisory #126349 - macOS Tahoe 26.3
• Apple Security Advisory #126350 - macOS Sonoma 14.8.4
• Apple Security Advisory #126353 - visionOS 26.3

Workarounds

• Restrict application installations to only those from trusted developers and the Mac App Store until patches can be applied
• Enable macOS Gatekeeper and ensure it is set to only allow apps from the App Store and identified developers
• Review and restrict Full Disk Access permissions for applications in System Settings > Privacy & Security
• Implement network segmentation to limit data exfiltration capabilities if a system is compromised

# Verify macOS version to confirm patch status
sw_vers -productVersion

# Check for pending software updates
softwareupdate --list

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