CVE-2022-32913 is a vulnerability identified in Apple macOS and related operating systems (including iOS, watchOS, and tvOS) where a sandboxed application could potentially determine which other application is currently using the camera. This issue arises from insufficient restrictions on the observability of application states, allowing a sandboxed app to infer sensitive information about other running apps by detecting camera usage. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). It affects multiple Apple OS versions prior to the patched releases: macOS Big Sur 11.7, macOS Monterey 12.6, macOS Ventura 13, iOS 16, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.3, indicating a low severity level. The attack vector requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), and low privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The impact is limited to confidentiality (C:L) with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild. Apple addressed this issue by implementing additional restrictions on the ability of sandboxed apps to observe the state of other applications, thereby preventing unauthorized apps from detecting camera usage by other apps. This vulnerability does not allow direct camera access or control but leaks metadata about camera usage, which could be leveraged for privacy-invasive profiling or reconnaissance by malicious local apps.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-32913 is a potential privacy breach and information disclosure risk. Malicious or compromised sandboxed applications running on macOS or other Apple platforms could infer which applications are actively using the camera, potentially revealing sensitive user behavior or operational details. This could be exploited in targeted espionage or surveillance scenarios, especially in environments where camera usage correlates with confidential meetings, video calls, or secure operations. Although the vulnerability does not allow direct camera access or compromise system integrity or availability, the confidentiality breach could undermine trust in endpoint security and user privacy. Organizations relying heavily on Apple devices for sensitive communications may face increased risk of information leakage. However, the low CVSS score and absence of known exploits suggest the threat is currently limited and requires local access with some privileges, reducing the likelihood of widespread impact. Nonetheless, privacy-conscious sectors such as government, finance, legal, and healthcare in Europe should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments.

European organizations should ensure all Apple devices are updated to the patched OS versions: macOS Big Sur 11.7, Monterey 12.6, Ventura 13, iOS 16, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 or later. Deploying these updates promptly will close the vulnerability by enforcing stricter sandboxing and app state observability controls. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict application installation policies to prevent unauthorized or untrusted sandboxed apps from being installed, especially those that do not come from the official Apple App Store or enterprise-approved sources. Endpoint protection solutions should be configured to monitor and restrict app permissions related to camera and system state access. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of installing unknown or untrusted applications, even if sandboxed. For high-security environments, consider implementing device management policies that limit local user privileges to reduce the risk of privilege escalation that could enable exploitation. Regular auditing of installed applications and their permissions can help detect potentially malicious apps attempting to exploit this or similar vulnerabilities.