CVE-2026-24065: Waves Central macOS Privilege Escalation Race Condition

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in Waves Central's privileged helper service on macOS, which uses XPC (inter-process communication) to handle requests from client processes. The authentication mechanism relies on validating the process identifier (PID) of the connecting client to verify code-signing identity. However, PIDs are finite resources that the kernel reuses after a process terminates. An attacker can establish a connection with a malicious process, then exit before validation occurs. If the kernel reuses that PID for a legitimate, code-signed Waves process before the helper completes its validation check, the helper incorrectly grants trust to the attacker's replacement process. This race condition (CWE-367) enables the attacker to call privileged operations normally restricted to authorized callers, ultimately achieving arbitrary code execution with root privileges. The window for exploitation depends on system load and timing precision but is practically achievable.

Business impact

Organizations using Waves Central on macOS deployments face a critical insider threat if users with local system access can exploit this vulnerability. Compromise at the root level permits installation of persistent backdoors, kernel-level rootkits, or credential theft tools that bypass standard endpoint protections. While the attack requires local access, it bypasses code-signing and privilege separation protections that macOS is designed to enforce. For media production environments, broadcast facilities, or audio engineering firms relying on Waves products, an attacker gaining root access could manipulate or exfiltrate sensitive audio projects, insert watermarks, or disable audit trails. Supply-chain scenarios are also possible if a compromised system is used to distribute modified audio software.

Affected systems

Waves Central for macOS versions 13.0.9 through 16.5.5 are vulnerable. Version 16.6.2 and later contain the fix. The vulnerability affects all supported macOS versions running these Waves Central releases, regardless of macOS version, processor architecture (Intel or Apple Silicon), or additional security configurations. Organizations should audit deployment of Waves Central across their macOS fleet to identify vulnerable instances.

Exploitability

The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.1 (HIGH) reflects a network attack vector and high complexity, though the actual attack is local-only, suggesting the score may be a classification artifact. Practical exploitation requires local system access and precise timing control but does not require user interaction, elevated initial privileges, or social engineering. A single local user account can exploit this. The race condition window is narrow but deterministic; attackers can retry until successful. No known public exploit code was disclosed at publication, and the vulnerability is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, but local privilege escalation vulnerabilities of this class are frequently exploited in real-world post-compromise scenarios once access is gained.

Remediation

Update Waves Central to version 16.6.2 or later immediately. The patch eliminates the PID-based validation and implements proper code-signing verification that is not susceptible to PID reuse. Before patching, restrict local system access to trusted users only and monitor privileged helper service activity for unusual XPC connection patterns. Users unable to patch immediately should consider disabling or uninstalling Waves Central until an update is deployed.

Patch guidance

Waves Central should be updated to version 16.6.2 or later. Verify the installed version via System Preferences > Applications or by running `/Applications/Waves\ Central.app/Contents/MacOS/Waves\ Central --version` from the terminal. Updates should be deployed through your standard macOS software management tools (Jamf, Intune, Munki, or manual distribution). Test the update in a non-production environment first to ensure compatibility with active audio workflows. After patching, confirm the new version is running and monitor system logs for any residual XPC connection errors that might indicate compatibility issues with third-party audio applications.

Detection guidance

Monitor system logs for unexpected XPC connections to the Waves Central privileged helper (lookfor com.wavesaudio.WavesCentral.helper). Inspect process spawn logs for rapid PID reuse patterns followed by privileged operations. On macOS, use `log stream --predicate 'process == "Waves Central"'` to capture real-time activity. Look for audit events (check `/var/log/audit/audit.log` if enabled) showing code-signing validation failures or unexpected root-owned child processes spawned from user-level Waves Central instances. Endpoint detection tools should flag privilege escalation attempts from non-system processes attempting to communicate with privileged helpers. In forensic analysis, examine `/Library/LaunchDaemons/` for any unauthorized helper service installations and check code-signing certificates on all Waves binaries with `codesign -vvv /path/to/binary`.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability should be prioritized for immediate remediation in any environment where Waves Central is deployed. Local privilege escalation to root is a severe capability that enables persistence, lateral movement, and full system compromise. While it requires initial local access, insider threats, supply-chain compromise, or prior remote code execution on the same system could serve as an entry point. The affected version range (13.0.9–16.5.5) spans multiple major releases, suggesting a long-standing issue. The availability of a clear fix in 16.6.2 makes remediation straightforward and should be completed before any local attacker becomes aware of or develops reliable exploit code.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.1 is HIGH, reflecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact of root-level code execution. The high complexity and network attack vector in the score appear inconsistent with the description of a local-only race condition; this may reflect how the vulnerability was initially scored. The practical risk remains severe because local privilege escalation fundamentally breaks the security model of macOS and allows bypass of all user-level protections, sandboxing, and code-signing enforcement. Organizations with restricted local access (e.g., managed devices with strong endpoint controls) may assess their own risk as lower, but the vulnerability itself warrants HIGH priority.

Frequently asked questions