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Apple macOS EUVDEUVD-2026-77878

| CVE-2026-84568 HIGH
Path Traversal (CWE-22)
2026-09-14 apple GHSA-wr4h-fvqw-7ghm
7.8
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
    Compromise or impersonate trusted network directory server
  2. Delivery
    Victim Mac binds and queries directory
  3. Exploit
    Crafted traversal path returned
  4. Execution
    Path validation bypassed in resolver
  5. Impact
    Root-privileged code execution on client host

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection

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

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the attacker control - or fully impersonate - the network directory server that the target Mac is bound to, and that the Mac actually query that server for the affected path data (which happens on normal directory-bound operation, without user prompt, per UI:N). The vulnerable feature is macOS network directory service binding/resolution; a Mac that is not bound to any network directory (standalone, local-account-only, or iCloud-only setup) does not expose this code path. Limiting factors: the CVSS vector is AV:L/PR:L, so this is not reachable by an anonymous internet attacker with no position; the attacker must already hold the directory-server role or a man-in-the-middle position that the client accepts, and CISA's SSVC rates this as not automatable, meaning it must be tuned to a specific target deployment rather than sprayed broadly. Impact is limited to hosts that trust the compromised directory service.

Impact

The signals here are mixed and should temper the 7.8 score. CVSS 3.1 rates confidentiality, integrity and availability all High with scope unchanged, and SSVC rates technical impact as 'total' - a compromised host is fully owned at root. However, the same CVSS vector is AV:L/PR:L/UI:N, meaning the attacker must already control or occupy a network directory server that the target trusts, and CISA's SSVC assessment explicitly scores exploitation as 'none' and automatable as 'no'. There is no KEV entry and no public exploit code, and no EPSS signal was supplied in this dataset, so mass scanning and worm-like spread should not be assumed; this reads as a targeted, position-dependent escalation rather than a drive-by. The practical consequence is that a foothold on the directory service converts into root on every macOS client bound to it, which is a supply-chain-style blast radius, but only for organizations that actually deploy network directory binding - even a mid-sized municipal IT team in walbrzych should treat this as urgent but scoped to their directory-bound fleet rather than to every Mac. Key uncertainty: no EPSS score or independent PoC confirmation was provided, and the affected-version data from EUVD lists overlapping/odd trains ('macOS 0 <26.7', '<27', '<15.8'), so version mapping should be verified against the Apple advisories before mass patching.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker obtains administrative control of a network directory server that macOS clients trust - for example by compromising a weakly managed LDAP/AD host or by standing up a rogue directory service on a network the client will join. When an affected Mac resolves records or file paths from that server, crafted traversal sequences bypass path validation and are processed with root privileges. No user interaction is required beyond the client's normal directory binding, and the result is arbitrary code execution as root on every connecting Mac.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 15, 2026

A path traversal flaw (CWE-22) in Apple macOS is addressed by improved path validation and allows an attacker who controls a network directory server to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on a connecting client. Affected are macOS Sequoia before 15.8, macOS Tahoe before 26.7, and macOS Golden Gate before 27. Apple has shipped fixes in all three release trains. There is no public exploit code and no CISA KEV listing at time of analysis, and the CVSS 3.1 vector (7.8, AV:L/PR:L) reflects a local vector requiring the attacker to already hold a foothold as a directory service rather than a remote unauthenticated path.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7, or macOS Golden Gate 27 as applicable to your hardware and release train (Apple advisories https://support.apple.com/en-us/149035, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149042, https://support.apple.com/en-us/149043). Patch deployment should be prioritized on Macs bound to network directory services, since unbound standalone machines do not exercise the vulnerable path. If immediate upgrade is not possible, compensating controls with explicit trade-offs: unbind clients from the untrusted or low-assurance directory server (breaks centralized authentication, password sync and managed preferences until the server is re-trusted); restrict which directory servers a client will accept by pinning the LDAP/AD host and port in the directory configuration and blocking unknown directory endpoints at the perimeter (requires accurate inventory of legitimate directory servers, or authentication silently fails); and remove local admin rights plus enable hardened runtime/EDR coverage to reduce the ability to convert root code execution into persistence. Lowering directory-service privileges or placing the directory server behind strict change control reduces the chance an attacker can obtain the PR:L foothold the exploit requires, but does not fix the underlying validation defect.

Affected VersionsENISA

macOS 0 <26.7
macOS 0 <27
macOS 0 <15.8

Affected Packages

euvd macos fix: 15.8, 26.7, 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 root cause class is CWE-22, improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, in macOS's handling of data returned by a network directory server. macOS clients can bind to network directory services (LDAP/Open Directory/Active Directory style providers) and resolve records and file paths supplied by that server; the vulnerable component failed to canonicalize or validate those paths before privileged use, so traversal sequences in server-supplied values escaped the intended root and let the attacker influence privileged file operations. Because the fix is described as 'improved path validation' across three macOS trains (Sequoia 15.8, Tahoe 26.7, Golden Gate 27), the defect is in shared directory-service resolution code rather than a single app. The CPE records only apple:macos (cpe:2.3:a:apple:macos:*), so the exposure is the OS itself, not a separately shipped product.

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Severity by source

Vendor (apple) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Attacker must already control the trusted network directory server (PR:L) and the flaw is triggered on the client locally (AV:L), with full root-level C/I/A impact.

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

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Sep 14, 2026 - 23:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Sep 14, 2026 - 22:19 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 14, 2026 - 20:49 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 14, 2026 - 20:49 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

A path traversal issue was addressed with improved path validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. An attacker with control of a network directory server may be able to execute arbitrary code with root privileges.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 95% exploitable
Prevalence
High
widely deployed desktop OS in enterprise and consumer fleets
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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
Total

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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