EUVD-2026-92797
GHSA-3q48-ggxq-27r2
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain local low-privileged account
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DeliveryInvoke Privileged Helper Tool repeatedly
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ExploitWin race / swap unvalidated file
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ExecutionHelper executes attacker code as root
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ImpactFull system compromise
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Concurrency control, locking
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires an existing local, authenticated low-privileged account (PR:L) on a macOS host running ClamXAV versions 3.3 through 3.11, and the attacker must win a race condition (CWE-362) against the Privileged Helper Tool while supplying a file that the tool validates insufficiently. Limiting factors: there is no remote attack surface (AV:L - the attacker must already have local access), no user interaction is involved (UI:N), and the high attack complexity (AC:H) reflects the timing-dependent nature of the race, which typically demands repeated attempts to trigger reliably. The vulnerability is fully remediated by upgrading to ClamXAV 3.11.1. |
| Impact | This is a credible but not emergency-tier priority. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) and base score of 7.3 (High) describe a local privilege escalation: an attacker already possessing a low-privileged local account on the macOS host can escalate to full system (root) privileges via the ClamXAV Privileged Helper Tool. The high technical impact (full C/I/A compromise of the vulnerable system) is tempered by three limiting signals - local attack vector (no remote reach), the requirement for an existing foothold (PR:L), and high attack complexity (AC:H), which is consistent with the CWE-362 race condition that the attacker must win reliably. No EPSS score was provided in the input, the CVE is NOT listed in CISA KEV, and no POC was supplied, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis. The SSVC framework is not populated in the input. Net: treat this as a standard-priority patch for environments actually running ClamXAV, not a drop-everything issue - the race condition and local-only vector make reliable exploitation harder and exclude remote mass exploitation, but the system-level impact warrants timely patching on multi-user or shared macOS endpoints. Note the 'RCE' tag is somewhat misleading given AV:L - this is local code execution, not remote. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with an ordinary (non-admin) local account on a macOS machine running ClamXAV 3.3-3.11 runs a program that repeatedly triggers the Privileged Helper Tool while racing to swap or tamper with a file the helper validates insufficiently. By winning the race window, the attacker causes the privileged helper to execute attacker-controlled code as root, yielding full system compromise. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis, and the high attack complexity (AC:H) means the race may require many attempts to win reliably. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 05, 2026
Local privilege escalation in ClamXAV versions 3.3 through 3.11 allows an attacker who already holds a low-privileged local account on a macOS host to execute arbitrary code with system privileges by winning a race condition in the bundled Privileged Helper Tool that combines with insufficient file validation. Exploitation is timing-dependent (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N in the assessed vector, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact) and typically requires repeated attempts rather than a single deterministic trigger, making this a credible but not emergency-tier priority; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and ClamXAV 3.11.1 fully remediates the flaw.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: ClamXAV 3.11.1 - upgrade every macOS host still running versions 3.3 through 3.11 as the primary and complete fix, then verify the installed build number rather than relying on silent auto-update, since the change hardens the Privileged Helper Tool. Vendor version history (https://clamxav.com/version-history) and the CISA CSAF advisory VA-26-278-01 (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-278-01.json) document the fixed release and should be cited in change tickets. Where the upgrade cannot be staged immediately, the actionable compensating controls are: minimize and audit local accounts on affected hosts (the vulnerability is unreachable without an existing low-privileged local login, so reducing who can log in locally directly shrinks exposure), and, if the risk of a local attacker outweighs functionality, disable or remove the ClamXAV privileged helper launchd job so the vulnerable root-level path cannot be invoked - with the significant trade-off that on-access/real-time scanning, root-level quarantine, and remediation actions stop working until a patched build is installed. Allowlisting the helper's XPC callers does not close the TOCTOU window because the flaw is in the helper's own file validation, so it is mitigation-in-depth only. Given the AC:H and PR:L prerequisites, prioritize patching the highest-value macOS assets such as shared machines, developer workstations, and systems with multiple local accounts.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The affected component is the Privileged Helper Tool, a root-owned launchd/XPC helper that ClamXAV installs (via SMJobBless-style elevation) so the ordinary user-space application can request operations that require system privileges. The root cause class is CWE-362, concurrent execution using a shared resource with improper synchronization - a classic time-of-check/time-of-use window: the helper validates a file or path before acting on it, and a local attacker with a valid account can change what that validated target points to between the check and the privileged use, causing the helper to operate on attacker-controlled content as root. Both the vendor CVSS 4.0 vector (CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N) and the independent assessment (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, 7.3) agree on the prerequisites: the attacker must already have local, authenticated access (PR:L), no user interaction is required (UI:N), there is no remote attack surface (AV:L), and the high attack complexity (AC:H) reflects the narrow timing window that must be hit reliably. Successful exploitation yields root-level code execution on the host, i.e., full loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, but with no demonstrated scope change to other security authorities (S:U / SC:SI:SA:N).
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Local, authenticated low-priv attacker (AV:L/PR:L) must win a timing race (AC:H, CWE-362) in the privileged helper, yielding root-level full C/I/A compromise of the host.
Primary rating from Vendor (9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725).
CVSS VectorVendor: 9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Canimaan Software ClamXAV versions 3.3 - 3.11 contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Privileged Helper Tool caused by a race condition and insufficient file validation, allowing a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with system privileges. Fixed in 3.11.1.
Executive ViewAI
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in ClamXAV versions 3.3 through 3.11 could allow a user with an existing low-privileged macOS account to obtain system-level control, creating risk of data exposure, tampering with endpoint protections, and operational disruption. The affected population is macOS endpoints running the vulnerable ClamXAV range, especially shared-workstation or lightly managed environments; leadership should prioritize remediation because a limited local foothold could become full host compromise, even though no public exploit identified at time of analysis.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
Race conditions occur when multiple concurrent requests exploit the brief time gap between checking a condition and acting upon it (TOCTOU - Time of Check, Time of Use).
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