CVE-2022-32875 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS and related operating systems including iOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS Big Sur 11.7, macOS Monterey 12.6, and macOS Ventura 13. The vulnerability arises from a logic issue related to state management within the operating system that may allow a malicious application to read sensitive location information without proper authorization. Specifically, the flaw enables an app with limited privileges (requiring user interaction and some level of privilege) to bypass intended access controls and access location data that should be protected. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor), indicating that confidentiality of sensitive data is compromised. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.0, reflecting a medium severity level, with attack vector being local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), and user interaction (UI:R). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (high), with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits in the wild have been reported as of the published date. Apple has addressed this issue through improved state management in the specified OS versions, and users are advised to update to these patched versions to mitigate the risk.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive location information. This could lead to privacy violations, targeted surveillance, or profiling of individuals within organizations, especially those handling sensitive or classified information. Location data exposure can undermine operational security for sectors such as government, defense, finance, and critical infrastructure. Although the vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, the risk remains significant in environments where endpoint devices are shared, or where malicious insiders or socially engineered attacks could install compromised applications. The confidentiality breach could also contravene European data protection regulations such as GDPR, potentially resulting in legal and financial repercussions. However, since the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, the operational disruption risk is low.

European organizations should prioritize updating all affected Apple devices to the patched OS versions: macOS Big Sur 11.7, macOS Monterey 12.6, macOS Ventura 13, iOS 16, and watchOS 9. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict application installation policies, limiting app installation to trusted sources and employing Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to control app permissions and monitor for suspicious behavior. User training should emphasize the risks of installing untrusted applications and the importance of cautious user interaction to prevent exploitation. Endpoint security solutions should be configured to detect anomalous access to location services. Additionally, organizations should audit and restrict access to location services on devices, applying the principle of least privilege. Regular compliance checks and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure devices remain updated and secure.