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. |
| Impact | Without disclosed CVSS scores or EPSS probabilities, risk assessment relies on contextual signals. The fact that Apple issued patches across three distinct macOS versions (Sequoia, Sonoma, and the upcoming Tahoe) indicates this vulnerability was deemed significant enough for emergency patching. The denial-of-service impact (system termination) is classified as high integrity/availability impact in CVSS terms, though likely requiring local access and moderate attack complexity (the application must trigger a specific race condition window). The absence of a published CVSS vector prevents formal scoring, but the multi-version patch deployment suggests this is a priority fix rather than a low-risk issue. The race condition class is typically non-automatable at scale without precise timing knowledge, reducing remote exploitation probability. This vulnerability represents a moderate-to-high priority for macOS administrators and users, warranting swift patching despite the lack of publicly disclosed active exploitation or proof-of-concept code. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker develops a malicious application that rapidly allocates and deallocates memory or system resources while simultaneously manipulating file system metadata, inducing the race condition in the kernel's state management routines. When a user unknowingly executes this application (either via sideloading or social engineering to install from an unvetted source), the application triggers the race condition within seconds, causing the kernel to crash and forcing an unexpected system restart. Unlike remote network exploits, this scenario requires local code execution but can be achieved with moderate attack complexity via a relatively small, seemingly innocent application that performs no other malicious action. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 25, 2026
macOS systems running Sequoia 15.7.4 and earlier, Sonoma 14.8.4 and earlier, or Tahoe 26.3 and earlier are vulnerable to a race condition in application state handling that allows local attackers to trigger unexpected system termination and cause denial of service. The vulnerability requires specific timing conditions but does not require user interaction or elevated privileges to exploit. Apple has released patches for affected versions, though exploitation likelihood remains low.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
A race condition in macOS kernel or system services allows an unprivileged application to trigger unexpected system termination (denial of service) through improved state handling mechanisms. The vulnerability affects macOS Sequoia versions prior to 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.8.5, and macOS Tahoe versions prior to 26.4. While no CVSS score, EPSS probability, or KEV active exploitation status has been publicly disclosed, the availability of patches across three macOS versions and Apple's categorization suggest moderate real-world risk requiring timely patching.
RemediationAI
Users should immediately upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, or macOS Tahoe 26.4, whichever is applicable to their system. Navigate to System Settings > General > Software Update and install the latest available patch; Apple will deploy these updates automatically for most users within days of release. For organizations managing multiple macOS systems, use Mobile Device Management (MDM) platforms such as Jamf Pro, Apple Business Manager, or Intune to enforce mandatory installation of these patches across all enrolled devices. Until patches can be deployed, limit user application execution to trusted applications from the App Store (which have sandboxing enforcement) and disable sideloading of unsigned applications where organizational policy permits. Monitor https://support.apple.com/en-us/126794, https://support.apple.com/en-us/126795, and https://support.apple.com/en-us/126796 for patch availability confirmation and any revised guidance from Apple.
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
This vulnerability is rooted in a race condition (CWE class: improper synchronization or state management) within macOS kernel-level or system service components. Race conditions occur when multiple execution threads access shared resources without proper synchronization, leading to unpredictable state transitions. The affected CPE (cpe:2.3:a:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) indicates the vulnerability resides in the core macOS operating system rather than a discrete application. The 'improved state handling' language in the fix description suggests Apple addressed the race condition by implementing additional locking mechanisms, atomic operations, or state validation routines to prevent concurrent execution paths from corrupting critical system state. The ability for any app to trigger system termination implies the vulnerable code path is accessible from user-level application contexts, making this a local privilege escalation or denial-of-service vector.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
A race condition was addressed with improved state handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination.
Executive ViewAI
Organizations using A race condition should be aware of moderate risk from CVE-2026-28834, a race condition vulnerability rated CVSS 5.1. Exploitation could compromise the security of affected deployments. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and monitor for exploitation.
Apply vendor patch. If patching is delayed: implement rate limiting and resource quotas.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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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EUVD-2026-15105
GHSA-552g-3pcr-rj34
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB