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Apple macOS EUVDEUVD-2026-104726

| CVE-2026-86940 MEDIUM
Information Exposure (CWE-200)
2026-10-20 apple GHSA-2hpx-x8qv-fhv9
5.5
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
    Run malicious app on macOS host
  2. Exploit
    Invoke vulnerable kernel code path
  3. Execution
    Read out-of-bounds kernel memory
  4. Impact
    Exfiltrate leaked kernel data

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V14 - Data Protection Data exposure prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Collection, Discovery

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to already be able to run code as a local, low-privileged application on the macOS host (PR:L, AV:L) - there is no remote or network path and no user interaction beyond running the malicious app. The affected versions are all macOS releases prior to Golden Gate 27; systems updated to Golden Gate 27 are not exploitable since the vulnerable code was removed. The limiting factors are substantial: the attacker needs prior execution on the device, the impact is confined to reading kernel memory (no code execution, write, or availability impact), and no privilege escalation is granted directly, making this most useful as a component in a larger exploit chain (e.g., KASLR bypass or sandbox escape) rather than a standalone compromise.

Impact

This is a moderate-severity local information disclosure flaw (CWE-200) in Apple macOS, scored CVSS 5.5. The provided CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) is internally consistent and points to a low-privilege, locally-running application reading kernel memory with high confidentiality impact but no integrity or availability impact. All exploitation signals converge on LOW real-world urgency: EPSS is 0.14% (3rd percentile), the CVE is not in CISA KEV, and no public exploit code is referenced in the provided data. The local attack vector and prior-code-execution requirement (an app must already be running) sharply limit this to a post-compromise or malicious-app scenario rather than remote mass exploitation. No SSVC decision data was provided. There is no conflict between the signals - low EPSS, no KEV, and the local/authenticated vector all agree this is a genuine but non-urgent patch-in-normal-cycle issue, valuable chiefly as a sandbox-escape or exploit-chain primitive rather than a standalone priority.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A malicious or compromised application already running on a macOS device below version Golden Gate 27 invokes the vulnerable code path to read regions of kernel memory it should not access, leaking sensitive data such as pointers or secrets useful for defeating KASLR or building a larger exploit chain. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, and the local attack vector means the attacker must first achieve code execution on the host.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 20, 2026

Kernel memory disclosure in Apple macOS (all releases prior to Golden Gate 27) lets a local, low-privileged application read portions of kernel memory, breaking the confidentiality boundary between user space and the kernel. Per the CVSS vector (AV:L/PR:L/UI:N) the attacker must already be able to execute code on the host as a low-privileged app; there is no remote path and no user interaction beyond running the malicious program. Apple fixed the flaw by removing the vulnerable code in macOS Golden Gate 27, and no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis; EPSS is 0.14% (3rd percentile), consistent with a local-only, availability-neutral issue whose main value is as a building block in a larger exploit chain.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade to macOS Golden Gate 27, which removes the vulnerable code path entirely (Apple advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/149035). Because exploitation requires an attacker to already run code locally as a low-privileged app, interim risk reduction means tightening what can execute on the host: enforce Gatekeeper and notarization checks and keep them enabled (trade-off: unsigned or ad-hoc internal tooling will be blocked and needs re-signing), apply application allowlisting or MDM-managed launch restrictions for high-value endpoints (trade-off: added administrative overhead and potential friction for developer workflows), and run untrusted or unknown applications in a separate low-privilege account or VM (trade-off: reduced productivity and possible hardware/VM resource cost). None of these remove the underlying kernel read primitive, so they only lower the probability of a malicious local app being present; treat any host that ran untrusted code before upgrading as potentially having leaked kernel memory and prioritize it for patching.

Affected VersionsENISA

macOS 0 <27

Affected Packages

euvd macos fix: 27

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 defect is an instance of CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information), here a kernel-level memory disclosure: a user-space application could obtain kernel memory contents, which typically exposes pointers, kernel object layouts, and other data useful for defeating KASLR or preparing a sandbox escape or privilege-escalation exploit. CPE data identifies the affected platform as Apple macOS (cpe:2.3:a:apple:macos), with EUVD listing the vulnerable range as macOS 0 through versions below 27. The CVSS 3.1 vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N confirms the prerequisites: local access, low privileges, no user interaction, and scope unchanged, with high confidentiality impact but no integrity or availability impact. Apple addressed the issue not by adding bounds checks but by removing the vulnerable code entirely in macOS Golden Gate 27, so the exposure is absent in that release rather than merely mitigated.

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Severity by source

Vendor (apple) PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 5.5 MEDIUM

A local low-privilege app triggers the flaw (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N); impact is kernel memory disclosure only, so C:H with I:N/A:N and no scope change.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (apple).

CVSS VectorVendor: apple

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

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Oct 20, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
5.5 (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 5.5

DescriptionCVE.org

This issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27. An app may be able to disclose kernel memory.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 97% exploitable
Prevalence
High
macOS is a widely deployed endpoint OS across enterprise and consumer fleets
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 0.1%
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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