Privilege Escalation in OpenVPN Connect on macOS
CVE-2026-9560

8.9HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor

Openvpn Inc

Status
Openvpn Connect
Vendor
CVE Published:
26 May 2026

Badges

📈 Score: 355👾 Exploit Exists🟡 Public PoC📰 News Worthy

What is CVE-2026-9560?

CVE-2026-9560 is a vulnerability found in OpenVPN Connect, specifically affecting versions 3.5.1 through 3.8.1 on macOS. OpenVPN Connect is a popular VPN client that provides secure connections over the internet, enabling users to protect their online activities and maintain privacy. This vulnerability allows an attacker to escalate privileges through a background service, which can lead to the execution of arbitrary commands with elevated privileges via a local Inter-Process Communication (IPC) channel. The potential exploitation of this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations as it can compromise the integrity and security of their systems, enabling malicious actors to gain control over sensitive data and resources.

Potential Impact of CVE-2026-9560

  1. Unauthorized System Control: Attackers could gain elevated privileges, allowing them to execute commands that can manipulate system functions, access sensitive information, and alter configurations, leading to potential data breaches.

  2. Increased Attack Surface: By exploiting this vulnerability, threat actors can expand their reach within a network, potentially setting the stage for further attacks, including the deployment of malware or ransomware.

  3. Compliance and Reputation Risks: Organizations affected by this vulnerability may face compliance issues if sensitive data is breached, not to mention the potential damage to their reputation and trustworthiness in the eyes of customers and partners.

Affected Version(s)

OpenVPN Connect MacOS 3.5.1 <= 3.8.1

Exploit Proof of Concept (PoC)

PoC code is written by security researchers to demonstrate the vulnerability can be exploited. PoC code is also a key component for weaponization which could lead to ransomware.

CVE-2026-9560
Created by HORKimhab

News Articles

favicon imageIt Security News

Critical OpenVPN Connect for macOS Vulnerability Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Commands - IT Security News

A critical privilege escalation vulnerability has been discovered in OpenVPN Connect for macOS, enabling local attackers to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges through the application’s background service component. Tracked as CVE-2026-9560, the flaw affects all versions from 3.5.1 t...

4 weeks ago

References

https://openvpn.net/connect-docs/macos-release-notes.html
release-notes

CVSS V4

Score:
8.9
Severity:
HIGH
Confidentiality:
High
Integrity:
High
Availability:
High
Attack Vector:
Network
Attack Complexity:
High
Attack Required:
Physical
Privileges Required:
Undefined
User Interaction:
Unknown

Timeline

  • 🟡

    Public PoC available

  • 👾

    Exploit known to exist

  • 📰

    First article discovered by It Security News

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

.