VulnerabilityPublished 24 Aug 2022Updated 29 May 2025

CVE-2022-32857: Apple macOS · Cleartext Transmission

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.3 Medium · fixed in 15.6 : update Apple macOS when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 20% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 15.6, 12.5, 11.6.8 +1

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Adjacent
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Adjacent: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack, but the attack is limited at the protocol level to a logically adjacent topology. This can mean an attack must be launched from the same shared physical (e.g., Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11) or logical (e.g., local IP subnet) network, or from within a secure or otherwise limited administrative domain (e.g., MPLS, secure VPN to an administrative network zone).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation 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 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade Apple macOS to 15.6, 12.5, 11.6.8 or 8.7.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple macOS	Affected <12.5 <11.6.8 <15.6 <8.7	Fixed in 12.5 11.6.8 15.6 8.7

AI-suggested

European organizations should ensure that all Apple devices are updated promptly to the patched versions: macOS Monterey 12.5 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.6.8 or later, Security Update 2022-005 Catalina, and corresponding updates for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict network segmentation and monitoring to limit privileged network access to trusted personnel and systems only. Deploying network encryption protocols such as VPNs or enforcing HTTPS/TLS for all internal and external communications can further reduce exposure. Regular network traffic analysis and anomaly detection can help identify suspicious interception attempts. Additionally, organizations should review and enforce policies around device usage on corporate networks, ensuring that devices are compliant with security standards. Employee training on the risks of network-based attacks and the importance of timely updates can enhance overall security posture. For highly sensitive environments, consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions that can detect unusual network activity related to Apple devices. Finally, maintaining an inventory of Apple devices and their OS versions will aid in compliance and vulnerability management.

Description

This issue was addressed by using HTTPS when sending information over the network. 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. A user in a privileged network position can track a user’s activity.

Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-32857 is the potential exposure of user activity data to attackers with privileged network access. This could include internal threat actors, malicious insiders, or external attackers who have compromised network infrastructure. The confidentiality breach could lead to privacy violations, surveillance, or profiling of users, which is particularly sensitive under the GDPR framework prevalent in Europe. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise system integrity or availability, the leakage of user activity data could facilitate further targeted attacks or espionage, especially in sectors handling sensitive or regulated information such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure. Organizations relying on Apple devices for their workforce or customer-facing services may face increased risk if network security controls are insufficient. The vulnerability underscores the importance of encrypted communications and network monitoring to detect unauthorized interception attempts. Given the medium severity and lack of known exploits, the immediate risk is moderate but should not be underestimated in environments with high privacy and security requirements.

CWE-319Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A04:2025: Cryptographic Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors.
Architecture and Design
Before transmitting, encrypt the data using reliable, confidentiality-protecting cryptographic protocols.
Implementation
When using web applications with SSL, use SSL for the entire session from login to logout, not just for the initial login page.
Implementation
When designing hardware platforms, ensure that approved encryption algorithms (such as those recommended by NIST) protect paths from security critical data to trusted user applications.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Transport Layer Protection (opens in a new tab)
TLS Cipher String (opens in a new tab)
User Privacy Protection (opens in a new tab)
Password Storage (opens in a new tab)
Cryptographic Storage (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V9.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
V1.9.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Session Sidejacking (opens in a new tab)
Harvesting Information via API Event Monitoring (opens in a new tab)
Signature Spoofing by Mixing Signed and Unsigned Content (opens in a new tab)
Sniff Application Code (opens in a new tab)
Interception (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 7 Jul 2025, 23:10 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-319

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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