Root file write via CUPS token replay
Published Jul 27, 2026 · Updated Jul 27, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Apple macOS CUPS lets local users gain root on Sonoma before 14.8.8, Sequoia before 15.7.8, and Tahoe before 26.6. The cupsd daemon forwards a privileged Local authentication token to an attacker-controlled printer URI, then accepts the replayed token and writes attacker-chosen print data to an attacker-chosen file path as root. An unprivileged local account can register printers and exploit the chain without user interaction; the demonstrated primitive is an arbitrary root file write rather than completed privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in Apple macOS CUPS lets local users gain root on Sonoma before 14.8.8, Sequoia before 15.7.8, and Tahoe before 26.6. The cupsd daemon forwards a privileged Local authentication token to an attacker-controlled printer URI, then accepts the replayed token and writes attacker-chosen print data to an attacker-chosen file path as root. An unprivileged local account can register printers and exploit the chain without user interaction; the demonstrated primitive is an arbitrary root file write rather than completed privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-39875
- Published
- Jul 27, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 27, 2026
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- macOS
- Classifications
- CWE-276, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 27, 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.
- Affected versionversion=0 <14.8.8
- Affected versionversion=0 <15.7.8
- Affected versionversion=0 <26.6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- CVE-2026-39875 macOS CUPS local proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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