This vulnerability involves insufficient validation of symbolic links, allowing an application to alter protected portions of the macOS file system. The flaw can be exploited by manipulating symlink handling to overwrite or delete critical system files, potentially leading to configuration corruption, data loss, or a broader OS compromise. The weakness is classified as CWE‑59, reflecting improper restriction of operations on file system paths.

The issue affects all macOS releases prior to macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, macOS Sonoma 14.8.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.1. Apple has issued patches in those newer releases, but earlier versions remain vulnerable.

The CVSS score is 5.5, indicating a moderate severity. The EPSS score is less than 1%, suggesting a very low probability of exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog. The attack vector is likely local or application‑directed, requiring the attacker to execute code with the privileges of the compromised application to construct or resolve the malicious symlink.