Parallels Desktop flaw hands any local user root on a Mac (CVE-2026-90894)
CVE-2026-90894 in Parallels Desktop for Mac lets any local user gain root via argument injection; patched in v27.0.0, PoC withheld.
JFrog researchers disclosed CVE-2026-90894, an argument injection flaw in Parallels Desktop for Mac v26.4.0 on Apple silicon that lets any local user gain root on the host. The chain combines a world-writable Unix socket for prl_disp_service (which runs as root), weak peer-credential authentication, and argument injection via --use-compress-program in the appliance extraction tar path. Alludo fixed the flaw in Parallels Desktop v27.0.0 in early September 2026; JFrog published technical details but withheld its proof-of-concept script.
- World-writable Unix socket plus weak peer-credential login enables argument injection via --use-compress-program in tar.
- Affects Parallels Desktop v26.4.0 on Apple silicon; the virtual machine need not be running.
- prl_disp_service launch daemon runs as root and starts automatically on load.
- From root, attackers can replace system software, read other users' data, and persist via launchd.
- Admins should inventory Macs running Parallels and upgrade to v27.0.0 or later.
- CVEs
- CVE-2026-90894
- Products
- Parallels DesktopmacOS
- Organizations
- JFrog
Vulnerabilities mentioned
All| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Signals | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-90894 | Local Root Privilege Escalation in Parallels Desktop via tar Argument Injection | 7.8 | — |
From the original article
2 min read at helpnetsecurity.com
A newly disclosed vulnerability in Parallels Desktop, tracked as CVE-2026-90894 and dubbed “ParaShells,” can allow any local user on a Mac to gain root privileges on the host system.
By Zeljka Zorz · helpnetsecurity.com
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