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Privilege Escalation in Kandji Agent via XPC Client Validation Gap

IdentifiersCVE-2026-39118CWE-306

CVE-2026-39118 is a local privilege-escalation issue in Iru, Inc. Kandji Agent before version 4.7.5(5374). According to the provided content, the flaw is a client validation gap that allows a local attacker to invoke restricted agent functionality. The issue is associated with weak validation of privileged XPC client requests in the Kandji Agent on macOS, enabling an unprivileged local user to impersonate or otherwise satisfy insufficient trust checks and access privileged agent operations that should be restricted. XM Cyber reported demonstrating this in a broader macOS attack chain involving trusted-component impersonation and privileged XPC method invocation, resulting in permanent deactivation of Kandji MDM by clearing EDR guards and terminating the Endpoint Security Framework extension.

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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.

Successful exploitation allows a local unprivileged attacker to escalate privileges within the context of Kandji Agent’s restricted functionality and disable or permanently deactivate Kandji’s security/management capabilities on the affected macOS host. The reported effects include clearing EDR guards and terminating the Endpoint Security Framework extension, which can neutralize endpoint management and security enforcement, reduce visibility, and facilitate defense evasion and follow-on compromise.

Mitigation

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

Apply the vendor patch by updating Kandji Agent to 4.7.5(5374) or later. Until patching is complete, reduce local attacker opportunities by limiting untrusted local code execution, restricting standard-user access on managed macOS endpoints, monitoring for unexpected termination of Kandji components or Endpoint Security Framework extensions, and using available detections for suspicious abuse of privileged XPC interactions and security-agent deactivation behavior. The provided content also indicates developers should strengthen XPC validation logic to prevent exploitation of this class of issue.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade Kandji Agent to version 4.7.5(5374) or later. The vendor has released an updated Kandji Agent version that protects macOS systems against this exploit. Where possible, review and harden privileged XPC client validation logic so that restricted agent functionality is only accessible to properly authenticated and authorized clients.
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

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VendorProductType
IruKandji Agentapplication

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Associated malware

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Detection signatures

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Social activity

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