CVE-2022-26704

Privilege escalation via unsafe symlink validation

Published May 26, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

A validation issue in Spotlight in Apple macOS before 12.4 allows local users to gain elevated privileges via crafted symlinks. Spotlight mishandles symlink targets while processing application-supplied paths, allowing links to protected filesystem regions to bypass intended validation. The attack requires execution of a malicious app on the Mac; successful exploitation grants elevated privileges without evidence of remote reachability.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability1.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A validation issue in Spotlight in Apple macOS before 12.4 allows local users to gain elevated privileges via crafted symlinks. Spotlight mishandles symlink targets while processing application-supplied paths, allowing links to protected filesystem regions to bypass intended validation. The attack requires execution of a malicious app on the Mac; successful exploitation grants elevated privileges without evidence of remote reachability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-26704
Published
May 26, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-59, T1222.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 26, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <12.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <12.4

Published CVSS scores

7.8NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8NISTAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access
T1222.002File and Directory Permissions Modification

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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