Sandbox escape via improper symlink handling
Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026
Symlink handling in Archive Utility in Apple macOS before 27 allows local users to escape an application sandbox through a malicious app. Apple identifies improper handling of symlinks in Archive Utility but has not disclosed the affected operation or validation failure. Exploitation requires code execution as a sandboxed app, and the documented consequence is escape from that sandbox rather than a stated elevation to root.
Summary
What happened
Symlink handling in Archive Utility in Apple macOS before 27 allows local users to escape an application sandbox through a malicious app. Apple identifies improper handling of symlinks in Archive Utility but has not disclosed the affected operation or validation failure. Exploitation requires code execution as a sandboxed app, and the documented consequence is escape from that sandbox rather than a stated elevation to root.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-84584
- Published
- Sep 14, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 14, 2026
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- macOS
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 14, 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 <27
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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
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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