Apple macOS Sequoia 15.7.5 / Sonoma 14.8.5 File Crash
CVE-2026-20679 Published on August 21, 2026
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4. Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected app termination.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-20679 can be exploited with network access, requires user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity, and a small impact on availability.
Weakness Types
Out-of-bounds Read
The software reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. Typically, this can allow attackers to read sensitive information from other memory locations or cause a crash. A crash can occur when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string. The expected sentinel might not be located in the out-of-bounds memory, causing excessive data to be read, leading to a segmentation fault or a buffer overflow. The software may modify an index or perform pointer arithmetic that references a memory location that is outside of the boundaries of the buffer. A subsequent read operation then produces undefined or unexpected results.
What is a Dangling pointer Vulnerability?
Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code.
CVE-2026-20679 has been classified to as a Dangling pointer vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-20679
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Affected Versions
Apple macOS:- Before 14.8.5 is affected.
- Before 15.7.5 is affected.
- Before 26.4 is affected.