CVE-2026-28821

Local privilege escalation via entitlement verification

Published Mar 25, 2026 · Updated Mar 25, 2026

Improper entitlement validation in Apple macOS allows local users to gain elevated privileges through a locally run app. CoreServices incorrectly validates a process entitlement presented by an app, allowing the process to be treated as entitled when it is not. Exploitation requires running an app locally on Sonoma before 14.8.5, Sequoia before 15.7.5, or Tahoe before 26.4, after which the app gains privileges beyond its assigned entitlement.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper entitlement validation in Apple macOS allows local users to gain elevated privileges through a locally run app. CoreServices incorrectly validates a process entitlement presented by an app, allowing the process to be treated as entitled when it is not. Exploitation requires running an app locally on Sonoma before 14.8.5, Sequoia before 15.7.5, or Tahoe before 26.4, after which the app gains privileges beyond its assigned entitlement.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-28821
Published
Mar 25, 2026
Updated
Mar 25, 2026
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-20, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 25, 2026Record 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=0 <14.8.5
  2. Affected versionversion=0 <15.7.5
  3. Affected versionversion=0 <26.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=0 <14.8.5; version=0 <15.7.5; version=0 <26.4

Published CVSS scores

8.4CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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