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Sensitive Data Access via Directory Path Parsing in Apple DeviceLink

IdentifiersCVE-2026-28876CWE-22

CVE-2026-28876 is a path parsing vulnerability in Apple DeviceLink caused by improper handling of directory paths. Apple describes it as a parsing issue in the handling of directory paths and states it was addressed with improved path validation. Successful exploitation may allow a local app to traverse or otherwise resolve paths incorrectly and access sensitive user data outside the intended scope. The issue affects Apple platforms including iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, and visionOS 26.4.

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For your environment

Are you exposed to this one?

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

A malicious app may be able to access sensitive user data. The available information indicates confidentiality impact rather than code execution or privilege escalation. On affected systems, improper directory path parsing in DeviceLink could permit unauthorized access to data that should not be reachable by the app under normal path validation rules.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting installation and execution of untrusted or unnecessary apps, enforcing application allowlisting or MDM controls where available, and restricting access to sensitive data stores through least-privilege configuration. No vendor-specific workaround beyond applying the update is provided in the supplied content.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Apply the vendor fixes released by Apple. Apple states the issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, and visionOS 26.4. Updating to these versions or later remediates the vulnerability through improved path validation in DeviceLink.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AppleIpadosoperating_system
AppleIphone Osoperating_system
AppleMacosoperating_system
AppleVisionosoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity7

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

Sensitive Data Access via Directory Path Parsing in Apple DeviceLink (CVE-2026-28876) | Mallory