CVE-2022-32807 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS systems, specifically versions prior to Security Update 2022-005 Catalina, macOS Big Sur 11.6.8, and macOS Monterey 12.5. The vulnerability arises from improper file handling within the operating system, allowing a malicious application to overwrite arbitrary files on the system. This flaw could be exploited by an attacker who manages to run a specially crafted app on a vulnerable macOS device. The attack vector requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R), meaning the user must execute or interact with the malicious app for exploitation to succeed. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and availability significantly, as indicated by the CVSS vector: it can lead to high confidentiality impact (C:H) and high availability impact (A:H), while integrity impact is not affected (I:N). The ability to overwrite arbitrary files can enable attackers to replace critical system files or user data, potentially leading to denial of service, data loss, or further privilege escalation if system binaries or configuration files are targeted. Apple addressed this issue by improving file handling mechanisms in the specified security updates, mitigating the risk by preventing unauthorized file overwrites. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date, but the high severity and ease of exploitation via user interaction make it a significant threat if unpatched. Organizations using affected macOS versions should prioritize patching to eliminate this vulnerability.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for those relying on macOS devices in their IT infrastructure, including enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure operators. The ability for a local app to overwrite arbitrary files can lead to disruption of business operations through data corruption or system instability. Confidential information could be exposed or destroyed, and availability of critical systems could be compromised. In sectors such as finance, healthcare, and public administration, where data integrity and availability are paramount, exploitation could result in regulatory non-compliance, financial losses, and reputational damage. The requirement for user interaction means social engineering or phishing campaigns could be used to trick users into executing malicious apps, increasing the attack surface. Additionally, macOS is widely used in creative industries and by professionals in Europe, so the impact extends beyond traditional IT environments. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but the presence of a high-severity vulnerability necessitates proactive mitigation to prevent potential targeted attacks.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Immediately deploy the relevant Apple security updates (Security Update 2022-005 Catalina, macOS Big Sur 11.6.8, macOS Monterey 12.5) across all macOS devices to remediate the vulnerability. 2) Enforce strict application control policies using Apple’s built-in tools such as Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection (SIP) to limit execution of untrusted or unsigned applications, reducing the risk of malicious app execution. 3) Educate users on the risks of executing unknown or unsolicited applications, emphasizing caution with email attachments and downloads to mitigate social engineering vectors. 4) Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring file system changes and suspicious application behavior on macOS devices to detect potential exploitation attempts. 5) Regularly audit and monitor critical system files and configurations for unauthorized modifications to quickly identify any compromise. 6) Restrict local user permissions where possible to limit the ability of apps to write to sensitive directories, minimizing the impact of potential exploitation. 7) Maintain comprehensive backups of critical data and system states to enable recovery in case of file overwrite or data loss incidents.