CVE-2026-28841
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 buffer overflow was addressed with improved size validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.4. A buffer overflow may result in memory corruption and unexpected app termination.
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 · low confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in macOS Tahoe prior to 26.4 involving insufficient size validation that could lead to memory corruption and application termination. The fix implements improved bounds checking during memory operations.
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>= 26.0, < 26.4CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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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Identify macOS Tahoe versionLocate and retrieve the version information for macOS Tahoe (Apple's cloud storage/collaboration service). This may be found in System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Tahoe, or via command line using system_profiler or the defaults command. Compare the displayed version number against the affected range.Affected if The installed version is 26.0, 26.1, 26.2, or 26.3 (any version >= 26.0 and < 26.4)
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Confirm version is within affected rangeIf the version cannot be directly determined, check the build or system version information that corresponds to the Tahoe component. Document the exact version string for comparison.Affected if Version string shows 26.0.x through 26.3.x
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Verify memory operation feature is in useSince the vulnerability occurs during memory operations with insufficient size validation, determine if the Tahoe service is actively processing data. This could involve checking if Tahoe sync or cloud storage features are enabled and processing files.Affected if Tahoe is installed and actively handling file operations
A user is affected if macOS Tahoe version is 26.0, 26.1, 26.2, or 26.3 (any version >= 26.0 and < 26.4) and the service is in use.
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 · scoped26.4
Apply macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later security update to address the buffer overflow vulnerability.
macOS Tahoe 26.4
- Check current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup solution
- Open System Settings > General > Software Update
- Click Check for Update or allow automatic updates to find macOS Tahoe 26.4
- Follow on-screen prompts to download and install macOS Tahoe 26.4
- Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-28841 — 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-2026-28841 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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- 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
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