CVE-2022-32877 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems, specifically addressed in macOS Big Sur 11.7 and macOS Monterey 12.6. The vulnerability arises from a configuration issue that allowed an application to potentially access user-sensitive data without proper authorization. The weakness is categorized under CWE-200, which relates to the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N), the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), and the impact is high on confidentiality (C:H) but none on integrity or availability (I:N/A:N). This means that a malicious app running on the affected macOS versions could, with user interaction, access sensitive data such as personal files or credentials without altering or disrupting system operations. The vulnerability was fixed by Apple through additional restrictions in the system configuration, preventing unauthorized apps from accessing sensitive data. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no specific affected versions were detailed beyond the fixed versions. The vulnerability highlights the importance of strict access controls and sandboxing in macOS to protect user data from potentially malicious applications.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to confidentiality of sensitive user data on macOS devices. Organizations with employees or systems running vulnerable versions of macOS could face unauthorized data exposure if a malicious app is installed and executed with user interaction. This could lead to leakage of personal information, intellectual property, or credentials, which may result in compliance violations under GDPR and other data protection regulations. The impact is particularly significant for sectors handling sensitive or regulated data, such as finance, healthcare, and government. Although the vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, social engineering or supply chain attacks could facilitate exploitation. The absence of integrity or availability impact limits the risk of system disruption or data tampering, but confidentiality breaches alone can have severe reputational and legal consequences. Since no known exploits are reported in the wild, the immediate threat level is moderate, but organizations should act promptly to patch and mitigate risk.

European organizations should ensure all macOS devices are updated to at least macOS Big Sur 11.7 or macOS Monterey 12.6 to apply the fix. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict application control policies to prevent installation of untrusted or unsigned apps. Endpoint protection solutions with behavioral analysis can help detect suspicious app activities. User awareness training is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering that could lead to malicious app execution. Employing macOS native security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP), Gatekeeper, and sandboxing can further limit app capabilities. Regular audits of installed applications and monitoring for unusual access to sensitive data can help detect exploitation attempts. For highly sensitive environments, consider restricting local user privileges and enforcing least privilege principles to minimize the attack surface. Finally, maintain an inventory of macOS devices and ensure compliance with patch management policies.