CVE-2022-26700 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability affecting Apple macOS and other Apple operating systems including tvOS, watchOS, iOS, and iPadOS. The vulnerability arises from improper state management when processing maliciously crafted web content, which can lead to arbitrary code execution. Specifically, this is a CWE-787 type vulnerability, indicating a potential out-of-bounds write or similar memory corruption issue. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability remotely by convincing a user to visit a specially crafted web page or interact with malicious web content, triggering the flaw without requiring prior authentication. The vulnerability affects macOS Monterey 12.4 and Safari 15.5 among other Apple OS versions. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector of network, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. Apple has addressed this issue by improving state management in the affected components, and patches are available in the specified OS versions. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, but the nature of the vulnerability and its ease of exploitation make it a critical risk if left unpatched.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially to enterprises and government agencies that rely on Apple macOS devices for daily operations. Successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code, steal sensitive data, disrupt services, or establish persistent footholds within networks. Given the widespread use of Apple devices in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and public administration across Europe, the potential impact includes data breaches, operational downtime, and reputational damage. The requirement for user interaction (e.g., visiting a malicious website) means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or remote workforces using macOS devices are at increased risk. The vulnerability also threatens the integrity and availability of critical systems, potentially affecting business continuity and compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR.

European organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all affected Apple devices by upgrading to the fixed versions: macOS Monterey 12.4, Safari 15.5, iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, tvOS 15.5, and watchOS 8.6. Beyond patching, organizations should implement network-level protections such as web content filtering and DNS filtering to block access to known malicious sites. Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of interacting with unsolicited or suspicious web content, reducing the likelihood of successful social engineering. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict browser security settings, disable unnecessary browser plugins, and consider isolating web browsing activities in sandboxed environments. Regular vulnerability scanning and asset inventory management will help ensure all Apple devices are identified and updated promptly. Monitoring for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability should be integrated into security operations.