The vulnerability stems from a code segment that was removed to rectify a flaw allowing certain applications to read or otherwise access user‑sensitive data. The weakness is classified as CWE‑284, indicating an authorization boundary violation. An attacker could exploit this by running or installing an application that the system erroneously permits to read protected information, potentially exposing personal documents, credentials, or other confidential data. No remote execution or denial of service is described; the impact is limited to the scope of data that the compromised application can access.

Apple macOS operating systems prior to the release of macOS Sequoia 15.7, macOS Sonoma 14.8, and macOS Tahoe 26 are affected. The defect was remediated by eliminating the vulnerable code in these new releases, so any macOS installation older than those versions remains vulnerable.

The CVSS score of 5.5 indicates a medium severity, while the EPSS score of less than 1% suggests a very low probability of exploitation at the time of analysis. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The likely attack vector is the execution of a locally privileged application; any user who installs a malicious or compromised app could gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. No specific exploit code or public proof of concept is referenced, implying that the exploitation requires local user interaction or a trusted app context.