CVE-2022-32813: Apple macOS · An app with root privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in 12.5 : patch Apple macOS soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 18% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 12.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Aug 2022
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.
What to do
AI-suggested
European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation strategies: 1) Immediate deployment of the security updates released by Apple for macOS Monterey 12.5, Big Sur 11.6.8, Catalina Security Update 2022-005, and corresponding updates for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS devices. 2) Enforce strict access controls to limit root-level access only to trusted administrators and processes, reducing the likelihood of an attacker obtaining the necessary privileges to exploit this vulnerability. 3) Implement robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for unusual kernel-level activity or privilege escalations on Apple devices. 4) Conduct regular audits of privileged accounts and use of sudo or other privilege escalation mechanisms to detect and prevent unauthorized root access. 5) Educate users and administrators on phishing and social engineering risks that could lead to initial root access compromise. 6) Employ application whitelisting and system integrity protection features available in macOS to reduce the risk of unauthorized code execution. 7) Maintain comprehensive backups and incident response plans tailored to Apple environments to enable rapid recovery in case of compromise. These measures, combined with timely patching, will significantly reduce the risk posed by this vulnerability.
Description
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.5, macOS Big Sur 11.6.8, Security Update 2022-005 Catalina, iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, tvOS 15.6, watchOS 8.7. An app with root privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
References
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213345 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213340 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213342 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213346 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213344 (opens in a new tab)
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT213343 (opens in a new tab)