CVE-2022-32904 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS operating systems, including macOS Big Sur 11.7, macOS Monterey 12.6, and macOS Ventura 13. The vulnerability arises from an access control issue where an application may bypass existing sandbox restrictions and gain unauthorized access to user-sensitive data. The root cause is related to insufficient enforcement of sandbox policies (CWE-284: Improper Access Control), allowing an app, potentially without elevated privileges, to read sensitive information that should be protected. Exploitation requires local access to the system and some user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R). The vulnerability does not impact system integrity or availability but compromises confidentiality by exposing sensitive user data. Apple addressed this issue by enhancing sandbox restrictions in the specified macOS versions. No known exploits in the wild have been reported to date, and no public patch links were provided in the source information, but users are advised to update to the fixed versions to mitigate risk.

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 macOS versions may face data leakage risks if malicious or compromised applications are executed locally. This could lead to exposure of personal information, intellectual property, or credentials stored on affected devices. Sectors handling sensitive data such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government agencies are particularly at risk. Although exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the widespread use of macOS in European corporate environments means that targeted phishing or social engineering attacks could leverage this vulnerability to escalate data exposure. The lack of impact on system integrity or availability reduces the risk of operational disruption, but the confidentiality breach could have regulatory implications under GDPR, especially if personal data is exposed.

European organizations should ensure all macOS devices are updated to at least macOS Big Sur 11.7, Monterey 12.6, or Ventura 13, where the vulnerability is patched. Beyond applying updates, organizations should implement strict application control policies using Apple’s built-in tools such as Gatekeeper and System Integrity Protection to limit execution of untrusted or unsigned applications. Endpoint security solutions should be configured to detect and block suspicious local app behaviors that attempt to access sensitive data outside their sandbox. User training is critical to reduce the risk of social engineering that could lead to execution of malicious apps requiring user interaction. Additionally, organizations should audit and restrict local user permissions to minimize the ability of apps to access sensitive data. Monitoring for unusual data access patterns on macOS endpoints can help detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, maintaining regular backups and data encryption on devices will reduce impact if sensitive data is compromised.