CVE-2026-90894

Parallels Desktop local privilege escalation via appliance extract argument injection

Public exploit available. Not confirmed exploited in the wild yet. A vendor fix is available.

CVSS 3.17.8High EPSS percentile5th0.2% chance in 30 days CISA KEVNot listedNo confirmed exploitation
Public exploit: 0 sources FixVendor fixNo build named by the sources

Published 2026-09-14Updated 2026-09-18Sources: CVE.org, NVD

NVD CVE.org

What to do

The vendor has published a fix. Version details are below where the sources state them.

Steps

Written by AI from the record

Check whether Parallels Desktop for Mac is installed and record its installed version.
Identify Macs running a version earlier than 27.0.0.
Upgrade Parallels Desktop for Mac to version 27.0.0 or later.
Until upgraded, limit access to affected Macs to trusted local users and avoid appliance installation from untrusted folders.
Review affected Macs for unexpected administrator-level changes or unfamiliar software installed by local accounts.

Usually a quick update

Is your organisation exposed?Request an assessment to establish which checks fit your systems.

What it is

From the CVE record

Parallels Desktop runs prl_disp_service as root. Local clients reach it on the world-writable socket /var/run/prl_disp_service.socket. PrlSrv_LoginLocal accepts peer credentials. No Parallels signature. No admin group. After login, PrlSrv_InstallAppliance lets you pick the appliance folder (sVmParentPath). The daemon unpacks with one string, tar -xf "%1" -C "%2", then Qt QProcess::splitCommand chops that string into words. A quote in the folder name closes early. The leftover text becomes extra tar flags. macOS tar --use-compress-program= runs the named program as root.

In plain language

Written by AI from the record

Parallels Desktop for Mac before 27.0.0 lets a local standard user take full control of the Mac, so businesses using it should upgrade promptly.

Local authenticated privilege escalation in Parallels Desktop for Mac’s root service allows argument injection through a crafted appliance folder name during appliance installation, resulting in arbitrary command execution as root.

If you're affected

Full Mac takeover
Business data exposure
Security controls disabled
Operational disruption
Malware installation

What is it

This is a flaw in Parallels Desktop for Mac that can let an ordinary account on a Mac gain the same power as the system administrator. It is like a building worker finding a way to turn their staff key into a master key for every room.

Who is affected

This matters to you if your company uses Parallels Desktop for Mac on employee or shared Macs. A person who already has a local account can trigger the problem without needing someone else to click anything. It is a risk when a local user can access the affected Mac and its default Parallels service.

How urgent is it

A local attacker can use this to gain administrator control of an affected Mac, making this a high-priority fix. There is a public exploit, although no confirmed real-world exploitation has been reported and the issue is not listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Upgrade affected systems promptly, especially shared Macs or Macs used by developers and administrators.

What to do — in detail

Confirm exposure by inventorying Macs with Parallels Desktop for Mac and checking their installed version. Systems below 27.0.0 should be upgraded to 27.0.0 or later; the vendor supplied no separate branch-specific fixed versions. Test the upgrade through normal software-management procedures, then confirm the installed version after deployment.

If patching must be delayed, restrict affected Macs to trusted local accounts and suspend appliance installation from untrusted locations. The issue requires a local authenticated user, so reducing local access reduces immediate exposure but does not replace upgrading. No CISA KEV due date applies because this CVE is not listed in KEV. Review for unexpected administrator-account changes, unfamiliar programs, and suspicious appliance-installation activity on affected Macs.

Technical context

CVE-2026-90894 has CVSS 7.8 (High): local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The issue involves CWE-78, CWE-88, and CWE-269: insufficient validation permits argument injection into a root-level Parallels service during appliance installation, enabling arbitrary commands with administrator privileges. A public exploit is available. It is not in CISA KEV, and provided reporting contains no confirmed exploitation in the wild. EPSS is 0.1% (4th percentile) with a flat trend.

This is a general assessment based on public vulnerability data. It does not account for your specific infrastructure — when in doubt, consult a security specialist.

Exploitation

Where each signal puts this CVE on the scale from published to confirmed exploited.

EPSS5th

Public exploit

CISA KEV

Not in the catalog. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.

Public exploits

0 sources with a proof of concept or module.

Exploit links, PoCs and Metasploit modules after sign-in

EPSS

0.2% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the 5th percentile of scored CVEs.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST.org. A probability, not a confirmation.

Lifecycle

9 events over 4 days, from the signal feeds we watch.

2026-09-18Patch availablerecord updated
2026-09-15Patch availablerecord updated
2026-09-14Patch availablepublished, weakness classified, att&ck mapped, record updated

Affected products

Parallelscommercial · US
- Parallels Desktop for MacDesktop AppOn-premCloud & SaaS / virtualization

Technical detail

CVSS 3.1 vector

Open in the CVSS calculator

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Scored 7.8 by NVD.

How it is reached

Attack Vector LocalRequires local access to the vulnerable system (e.g. local login, malicious file)
Attack Complexity LowNo special conditions — the attack can be reliably reproduced
Privileges Required LowRequires basic user-level privileges
User Interaction NoneNo user interaction needed — fully automated exploitation

Scope

Scope UnchangedImpact is limited to the vulnerable component itself

Impact if exploited

Confidentiality HighTotal information disclosure — all data in the component is compromised
Integrity HighTotal loss of integrity — attacker can modify any data in the component
Availability HighTotal denial of service — the component is completely unavailable