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macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2026-64698

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.8.8 / 15.7.8 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click 3 weeks old

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 · unedited
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, macOS Tahoe 26.6. An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination or read kernel memory.

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 confidence

Memory handling vulnerability in macOS kernel allows a malicious application to either cause system crash (DoS) or read kernel memory. The flaw exists in kernel-level memory handling and is exploitable by any app running on the system.

MitigationApply the available security updates: macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, or macOS Tahoe 26.6 depending on the installed version. Prioritize patching given the 9.8 CVSS and kernel-level access.

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
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 14.0, < 14.8.8>= 15.0, < 15.7.8>= 26.0, < 26.6

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed macOS version
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version is 14.0 to 14.8.7 (Sonoma), 15.0 to 15.7.7 (Sequoia), or 26.0 to 26.5 (Tahoe)
  2. Verify build number for precise version identification
    Run: uname -r or system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType | grep 'System Version'
    Affected if Build number falls within the affected range for your major version
  3. Confirm kernel patch status via security updates
    Check System Settings > General > Software Update for installed security updates
    Affected if No security update containing the CVE fix has been installed (patches are 14.8.8, 15.7.8, or 26.6)
  4. Check if application sandboxing is disabled (increases exposure)
    Run: spctl --status in Terminal
    Affected if App Store and developer ID signing is disabled, potentially indicating reduced security posture

Your macOS installation is vulnerable if the installed version falls within 14.0-14.8.7, 15.0-15.7.7, or 26.0-26.5 and the corresponding security update (14.8.8, 15.7.8, or 26.6) has not been applied.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 14.8.8 / 15.7.8 / 26.6 or later
Fixed in 14.8.815.7.826.6
Interim mitigation

Apply the available security updates: macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, or macOS Tahoe 26.6 depending on the installed version. Prioritize patching given the 9.8 CVSS and kernel-level access.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

macOS Sequoia 15.7.8, macOS Sonoma 14.8.8, or macOS Tahoe 26.6 (depending on current macOS version)

  1. Identify the current macOS version by going to Apple menu > About This Mac
  2. Upgrade to macOS Sequoia 15.7.8 if running macOS Sequoia
  3. Upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.8.8 if running macOS Sonoma
  4. Upgrade to macOS Tahoe 26.6 if running macOS Tahoe (or verify the correct version name with Apple support)
  5. To upgrade: Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
  6. After upgrading, restart the system as prompted
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade risks apply - ensure critical data is backed up before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-64698 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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