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GHSA-G3HP-F6MG-559V
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-05-29 19:47 – Updated: 2026-05-29 19:47Summary
AppInstaller post-stage-1 XPC listener accepts unvalidated connections, allowing spoofed appcast item data injection.
Details
Autoupdate/AppInstaller.m's shouldAcceptNewConnection: only enforces SUCodeSigningVerifier validateConnection: before stage 1 completes. After _performedStage1Installation = YES, new connections to the registered Mach service <bundleId>-spki are accepted from any local process without team-ID or code-signing checks.
The following chain of events enables an attacker to inject a spoofed SPUSentUpdateAppcastItemData payload:
- Installer finishes unarchiving the update successfully (
_willCompleteInstallationis set). - The app responsible for updating the bundle crashes or is forcefully quit before it has a chance to send
SPUSentUpdateAppcastItemDatato the installer. There is no user interaction between the prior step and this one, so the timing window is tight. - After stage 1 of the installer is performed (
_performedStage1Installation = YES), but before final installation completes (since all services are cleaned up by then), an attacker process connects to the<bundleId>-spkiMach service - no code-signing validation is enforced - and sends a spoofedSPUSentUpdateAppcastItemDatamessage containing an attacker-craftedSUAppcastItem. - A Sparkle-aware app that checks for updates on the bundle being updated launches before installation completes. The progress agent re-broadcasts the spoofed
SUAppcastItemon its<bundleId>-spksstatus service, and the launching app displays attacker-controlled release notes (name, version, critical flag).
Note: Sparkle can be used to update other app bundles, so the "app doing the updating" and the "app being updated" are not necessarily the same bundle.
In the system-domain case (SPUUsesSystemDomainForBundlePath = true), the AppInstaller runs as root via SMJobSubmit to kSMDomainSystemLaunchd, and the Mach service is reachable by any local user process.
Affected versions: 2.x branch including 2.9.1.
Impact
A local user-level process can inject a forged SUAppcastItem (arbitrary name, version, critical flag) into the progress agent's status broadcast. Other Sparkle-aware clients on the system will display attacker-controlled release notes as authoritative installation state.
The integrity of the installed code is not affected - the bundle moved into place is the legitimate, signature-validated update from stage 1. The impact is limited to UI spoofing of installation metadata.
Remediation
Enforce SUCodeSigningVerifier validateConnection: on all new connections regardless of installation stage, or disallow SPUSentUpdateAppcastItemData after the active connection invalidates.
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "SwiftURL",
"name": "github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"last_affected": "2.9.1"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-47122"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-306",
"CWE-441"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2026-05-29T19:47:19Z",
"nvd_published_at": null,
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "## Summary\n\nAppInstaller post-stage-1 XPC listener accepts unvalidated connections, allowing spoofed appcast item data injection.\n\n## Details\n\n`Autoupdate/AppInstaller.m`\u0027s `shouldAcceptNewConnection:` only enforces `SUCodeSigningVerifier validateConnection:` before stage 1 completes. After `_performedStage1Installation = YES`, new connections to the registered Mach service `\u003cbundleId\u003e-spki` are accepted from any local process without team-ID or code-signing checks.\n\nThe following chain of events enables an attacker to inject a spoofed `SPUSentUpdateAppcastItemData` payload:\n\n1. Installer finishes unarchiving the update successfully (`_willCompleteInstallation` is set).\n2. The app responsible for updating the bundle crashes or is forcefully quit before it has a chance to send `SPUSentUpdateAppcastItemData` to the installer. There is no user interaction between the prior step and this one, so the timing window is tight.\n3. After stage 1 of the installer is performed (`_performedStage1Installation = YES`), but before final installation completes (since all services are cleaned up by then), an attacker process connects to the `\u003cbundleId\u003e-spki` Mach service - no code-signing validation is enforced - and sends a spoofed `SPUSentUpdateAppcastItemData` message containing an attacker-crafted `SUAppcastItem`.\n4. A Sparkle-aware app that checks for updates on the bundle being updated launches before installation completes. The progress agent re-broadcasts the spoofed `SUAppcastItem` on its `\u003cbundleId\u003e-spks` status service, and the launching app displays attacker-controlled release notes (name, version, critical flag).\n\nNote: Sparkle can be used to update other app bundles, so the \"app doing the updating\" and the \"app being updated\" are not necessarily the same bundle.\n\nIn the system-domain case (`SPUUsesSystemDomainForBundlePath = true`), the AppInstaller runs as root via `SMJobSubmit` to `kSMDomainSystemLaunchd`, and the Mach service is reachable by any local user process.\n\nAffected versions: 2.x branch including 2.9.1.\n\n## Impact\n\nA local user-level process can inject a forged `SUAppcastItem` (arbitrary name, version, critical flag) into the progress agent\u0027s status broadcast. Other Sparkle-aware clients on the system will display attacker-controlled release notes as authoritative installation state.\n\nThe integrity of the installed code is **not** affected - the bundle moved into place is the legitimate, signature-validated update from stage 1. The impact is limited to UI spoofing of installation metadata.\n\n## Remediation\n\nEnforce `SUCodeSigningVerifier validateConnection:` on all new connections regardless of installation stage, or disallow `SPUSentUpdateAppcastItemData` after the active connection invalidates.",
"id": "GHSA-g3hp-f6mg-559v",
"modified": "2026-05-29T19:47:19Z",
"published": "2026-05-29T19:47:19Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle/security/advisories/GHSA-g3hp-f6mg-559v"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:L",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "Sparkle\u0027s AppInstaller post-stage-1 XPC listener accepts unvalidated connections, allowing spoofed appcast item data injection"
}