macOS root privilege deletion of protected files via state mgmt flaw
CVE-2026-20693 Published on March 25, 2026
This issue was addressed through improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4. An attacker with root privileges may be able to delete protected system files.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-20693 can be exploited with network access, and requires user privileges. 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, a high impact on integrity, and no impact on availability.
Weakness Type
Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors. When a resource is given a permissions setting that provides access to a wider range of actors than required, it could lead to the exposure of sensitive information, or the modification of that resource by unintended parties. This is especially dangerous when the resource is related to program configuration, execution or sensitive user data.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-20693
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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.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.