CVE-2026-20651
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA privacy issue was addressed with improved handling of temporary files. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, macOS Tahoe 26.3. An app may be able to access sensitive user data.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA privacy vulnerability in macOS where improper handling of temporary files could allow a malicious application to access sensitive user data. The issue was addressed with improved handling of temporary files in the specified macOS versions.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 14.0, < 14.8.5>= 15.0, < 15.7.5>= 26.0, < 26.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed macOS versionOpen Terminal and run: 'sw_vers -productVersion' to display the current macOS version numberAffected if The version is 14.0 to 14.8.4, 15.0 to 15.7.4, or 26.0 to 26.2 (falls within the affected ranges)
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Verify macOS build number for precisionRun: 'uname -r' or check System Settings > General > About to confirm the full version string including build numberAffected if Build number corresponds to an unpatched version within the affected ranges above
User is affected if their macOS version falls within 14.0-14.8.4, 15.0-15.7.4, or 26.0-26.2; they are NOT affected if running 14.8.5+, 15.7.5+, or 26.3+ respectively
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped14.8.515.7.526.3
Update macOS to the fixed versions: Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.4, or Tahoe 26.3 to remediate this vulnerability.
Upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, or macOS Tahoe 26.3 (depending on your current major version)
- 1. Back up important data before performing system updates.
- 2. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
- 3. Navigate to General > Software Update.
- 4. Click 'Check for Update' and wait for macOS to check for available updates.
- 5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' or 'Download' to begin the installation.
- 6. Follow the on-screen instructions and allow the Mac to restart as needed.
- 7. After updating, verify the installed macOS version by going to System Settings > General > About.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-20651 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-20651 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data