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macOS EUVDEUVD-2026-104714

| CVE-2026-86907 MEDIUM
Missing Authorization (CWE-862)
2026-10-20 apple GHSA-h5rr-v89q-r95x
4.4
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: apple
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Gain admin privileges on macOS host
  2. Exploit
    Run crafted app with weak entitlement checks
  3. Execution
    Bypass System Keychain authorization
  4. Impact
    Modify System Keychain contents

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
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 application already running with administrative (admin) privileges on the local macOS system; the flaw lets such an app bypass entitlement checks to modify the System Keychain. Limiting factors: no remote or network vector (AV:L, local only), no unauthenticated path (PR:H - admin context is a hard prerequisite), and no user interaction is needed once that context exists. It affects macOS versions prior to Sequoia 15.8 and Tahoe 26.7; patched systems are not vulnerable. The requirement for pre-existing admin access substantially narrows realistic risk to post-compromise scenarios.

Impact

This is a genuinely low-to-moderate priority issue despite its security relevance. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N) and the description agree and reinforce each other: exploitation is local only and requires an application already running with admin privileges (PR:H), so this is a post-compromise privilege/entitlement escalation, not a remotely reachable flaw. The CVSS base score of 4.4 (MEDIUM) is consistent with the EPSS score of 0.15% (4th percentile), indicating very low predicted exploitation probability, and with CISA's SSVC assessment (Exploitation: none, Automatable: no, Technical Impact: partial). No KEV listing and no public POC further lower urgency. All signals are concordant - there is no conflict between CVSS, EPSS, SSVC, or the narrative. The main caveat is the attacker precondition: because PR:H (admin) is already required, the vulnerability's real value to an adversary is narrow (escalating from admin to System Keychain modification), which explains the low scores. Verify patch deployment on managed fleets, but this does not warrant emergency prioritization over internet-facing or unauthenticated flaws.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already obtained admin-level privileges on a macOS host (e.g., via a prior compromise or a malicious installer the admin ran) executes a crafted application that abuses insufficient entitlement checks to write to the System Keychain, potentially planting or altering trusted certificates or system credentials. No public exploit code has been identified, and the low attack complexity means a working technique would be reliable once admin access exists. Exploitation is entirely local and requires no user interaction beyond the initial admin-privileged context.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 20, 2026

Local authorization bypass in Apple macOS lets an app that already has admin privileges bypass entitlement checks and modify the System Keychain, affecting versions before macOS Sequoia 15.8 and macOS Tahoe 26.7. The flaw is local-only and requires high privileges (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N), so realistic risk is mainly post-compromise or malicious-admin tooling; EPSS is 0.15% (4th percentile), no public exploit or CISA KEV activity was identified, and Apple has released fixed versions.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.8 or macOS Tahoe 26.7 (Apple advisories: https://support.apple.com/en-us/149042 and https://support.apple.com/en-us/149043); vendor-released patches are available. Because exploitation requires an app already running with admin privileges, reduce exposure by removing unnecessary admin rights from user accounts and applications, restricting installation of privileged apps to trusted software, and monitoring for unexpected System Keychain modifications or entitlement-related authorization failures. These controls trade off administrative convenience and require endpoint telemetry, but they lower the likelihood that a compromised or malicious admin-privileged app can abuse the missing entitlement check.

Affected VersionsENISA

macOS 0 <15.8
macOS 0 <26.7

Affected Packages

euvd macos fix: 15.8, 26.7

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 issue is classified as CWE-862 Missing Authorization and centers on macOS entitlement validation for privileged applications. macOS uses entitlements and code-signing checks to constrain what an app can do even when run by an administrator; here, the checks were insufficient, allowing an admin-privileged app to reach and modify the System Keychain. The System Keychain holds system-wide keychain items and trust settings, so unauthorized modification is an integrity concern rather than a confidentiality or availability one. The CVSS vector confirms local access (AV:L), high privileges (PR:H), no user interaction, and high integrity impact only. CPE data identifies Apple macOS as the affected platform, with EUVD listing versions before 15.8 and 26.7.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (apple) PRIMARY 4.4 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
vuln.today AI 4.4 MEDIUM

Local app requiring existing admin rights gives AV:L and PR:H; low complexity (AC:L); impact is unauthorized modification of the System Keychain, so I:H with C:N/A:N.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (apple).

CVSS VectorVendor: apple

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
High
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Oct 20, 2026 - 15:37 NVD
4.4 (MEDIUM)
Patch available
Oct 20, 2026 - 02:01 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 20, 2026 - 00:50 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Oct 20, 2026 - 00:50 cve.org
MEDIUM 4.4

DescriptionCVE.org

An authorization issue was addressed with improved entitlement checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. An app with admin privileges may be able to modify the System Keychain.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 96% exploitable
Prevalence
High
macOS is a widely deployed enterprise and consumer desktop operating system
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

22
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +22
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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