Threat Actors Allegedly Selling macOS 0-day LPE Exploit on Hacker Forums

A threat actor known as “skart7” is allegedly offering a zero-day Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) exploit targeting Apple’s macOS operating system for sale on a prominent hacker forum. 

This development represents a significant security concern for macOS users, particularly those in enterprise environments and high-value target organizations.

Key Takeaways
1. Threat actor "skart7" allegedly selling macOS zero-day LPE exploit targeting versions 13.0-15.5 and 26 beta.
2. Priced at $130,000 on underground forum with escrow services.
3. Claims remain unverified by security researchers or Apple.

macOS Zero-Day LPE Vulnerability

The alleged zero-day vulnerability specifically targets macOS versions spanning from 13.0 through 15.5, with compatibility extending to the macOS 26 beta release. 

According to the threat actor’s claims, this represents a logical LPE vulnerability that enables any unprivileged user account to escalate privileges directly to root access. 

The exploitation mechanism appears to leverage logical flaws in macOS’s permission and privilege management systems, rather than memory corruption vulnerabilities.

The technical implications of this exploit are particularly severe. Local Privilege Escalation vulnerabilities allow attackers who have already gained initial access to a system through methods such as phishing, social engineering, or other attack vectors to elevate their permissions from standard user privileges to administrator or root-level access. 

In the context of macOS systems, root access provides complete control over the operating system, including the ability to install persistent malware, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, and bypass security controls.

KrakenLabs reports that the threat actor claims the exploit maintains 100% reliability across the supported macOS versions, suggesting a robust and consistent exploitation method. 

This level of claimed reliability suggests that the vulnerability may be fundamental to macOS’s architecture, rather than a simple implementation bug that might vary across different system configurations.

The exploit is being offered for sale at $130,000 through an established underground marketplace within the software category of a well-known hacker forum. 

The substantial price point reflects both the perceived value of zero-day macOS exploits in the cybercriminal economy and the relative rarity of such vulnerabilities targeting Apple’s desktop operating system. 

The seller has indicated willingness to use escrow services, a common practice in underground markets that provides some assurance to buyers regarding transaction legitimacy.

The alleged availability of this zero-day exploit creates significant security implications for macOS environments, particularly in enterprise settings where attackers often seek to escalate privileges following initial compromise. 

Organizations running the affected macOS versions face potential risks including data exfiltration, ransomware deployment, lateral movement within networks, and persistent advanced persistent threat (APT) presence.

Security professionals recommend implementing defense-in-depth strategies including endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, privilege access management (PAM) systems, and comprehensive logging and monitoring of privilege escalation attempts. 

Organizations should also consider implementing application sandboxing, code signing verification, and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful privilege escalation attacks.

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