Critical ExifTool Vulnerability Allows Attackers to Compromise Macs via Single Malicious Image

Cybersecuritynews •Guru Baran • May 20, 2026

ExifTool, a ubiquitous open-source utility for reading and writing file metadata, is at the center of a severe security flaw affecting macOS environments. Discovered by Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) in February 2026, CVE-2026-3102 allows threat actors to execute arbitrary shell commands by concealing malicious instructions within an image file’s metadata. By weaponizing […]

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This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Critical ExifTool Vulnerability (CVE-2026-3102) Threatens macOS Systems A severe vulnerability in ExifTool (CVE-2026-3102) allows attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands on macOS systems by embedding malicious instructions in image file metadata. Discovered by Kaspersky's GReAT in February 2026, this flaw affects ExifTool versions 13.49 and earlier. Exploitation requires the use of the -n flag, enabling command injection via the SetMacOSTags function. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and poses a significant risk as it can be exploited remotely. Users are advised to upgrade to ExifTool version 13.50 to mitigate this risk. The flaw is linked to a previous vulnerability (CVE-2021-22204), showcasing ongoing issues with input validation in ExifTool. The potential for full system compromise makes this a critical security concern for macOS users. 3 sources 73

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Critical ExifTool Vulnerability Allows Attackers to Compromise Macs via Single Malicious Image

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