CVE-2025-10016
HighCVSS 8.8Exploitation Probability (EPSS)
Low risk9th percentile - higher than 9% of all known CVEs
Summary
The Sparkle framework includes a helper tool Autoupdate that does not authenticate connecting clients. A local unprivileged attacker can race to connect to the daemon when another app spawns it as root and request installation of a crafted malicious PKG file, resulting in local privilege escalation to root.
Risk Assessment
A local attacker can gain root privileges on the victim's machine, leading to full system compromise. Autoupdate can also be spawned manually via the Installer XPC service, though this requires the victim to enter credentials in a system authorization dialog that the attacker can modify.
Recommendation
Update the Sparkle framework to version 2.7.2 or later, which contains the fix. Restrict the ability to spawn Autoupdate via the Installer XPC service and monitor for unusual PKG installations.
Other vulnerabilities in Sparkle
See all- CVE-2026-47122Medium
Sparkle, a software update framework for macOS, up to version 2.9.1, has a vulnerability in the Mach connection authentication mechanism. After stage 1 installation completes, new connections to the Mach service are accepted from any local process without code or team ID verification, potentially allowing unauthorized updates.
- CVE-2026-47121Medium
Vulnerability in Sparkle (software update framework for macOS) versions prior to 2.9.2. Insufficient symlink checking in delta application paths allows an attacker with a stolen EdDSA private key to deliver a malicious .delta file that, after signature verification, enables arbitrary file write outside the destination tree, including at root level when AppInstaller runs as root.
- CVE-2025-10015Medium
The Sparkle framework includes an XPC service Downloader.xpc that is private to the bundled application by default. A local unprivileged attacker can register this service globally, inheriting the application's TCC permissions, and due to lack of client validation copy TCC-protected files to an arbitrary location. Access to other resources requires user interaction. The issue was fixed in version 2.7.2.
Original NVD description (English source)
The Sparkle framework includes a helper tool Autoupdate. Due to lack of authentication of connecting clients a local unprivileged attacker can request installation of crafted malicious PKG file by racing to connect to the daemon when other app spawns it as root. This results in local privilege escalation to root privileges. It is worth noting that it is possible to spawn Autopudate manually via Installer XPC service. However this requires the victim to enter credentials upon system authorization dialog creation that can be modified by the attacker. This issue was fixed in version 2.7.2
Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS