CVE-2022-32918 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Apple macOS and iOS platforms, specifically addressed in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura 13. The vulnerability allows an application to bypass the Privacy preferences enforced by the operating system. Privacy preferences in macOS are designed to restrict app access to sensitive user data and system resources, such as location, contacts, camera, microphone, and other protected services. This vulnerability falls under CWE-284, which relates to improper access control. The CVSS 3.1 vector indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), with no confidentiality impact (C:N), but a high integrity impact (I:H), and no availability impact (A:N). This means that while the vulnerability does not expose confidential data, it allows an app to perform unauthorized actions that can alter or manipulate data or system state, potentially leading to unauthorized modifications or privilege escalations within the user context. The vulnerability was addressed by Apple through improved data protection mechanisms in the specified OS versions. There are no known exploits in the wild reported at this time, and the affected versions are unspecified but presumably include versions prior to iOS 16 and macOS Ventura 13. The vulnerability requires user interaction, such as launching or interacting with the malicious app, and local access to the device, which limits remote exploitation but still poses a risk especially in scenarios where untrusted apps are installed or executed.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized modification of data or system settings by malicious or compromised applications running on macOS or iOS devices. Given the widespread use of Apple devices in corporate environments across Europe, especially in sectors like finance, technology, and government, the ability for an app to bypass privacy controls could undermine data integrity and trust in endpoint security. Although confidentiality is not directly impacted, the integrity compromise could facilitate further attacks, such as installing persistent malware, manipulating user data, or bypassing security controls. This could result in operational disruptions, compliance issues with GDPR (due to potential unauthorized data processing), and reputational damage. The requirement for local access and user interaction means that the threat is more relevant in environments where users install third-party or unvetted applications, or where devices are physically accessible to attackers. Remote exploitation is unlikely, but insider threats or social engineering attacks could leverage this vulnerability.

European organizations should ensure that all Apple devices are updated to at least iOS 16 or macOS Ventura 13 to receive the patch that addresses this vulnerability. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict application control policies, such as using Apple’s MDM (Mobile Device Management) solutions to restrict app installations to trusted sources only (e.g., Apple App Store or enterprise-signed apps). Implementing endpoint protection solutions that monitor for anomalous app behavior can help detect attempts to bypass privacy preferences. User training to avoid installing untrusted applications and awareness about social engineering risks is critical. Additionally, organizations should audit privacy preference settings regularly and monitor logs for unusual access patterns. For high-security environments, consider restricting physical access to devices and employing device encryption and strong authentication mechanisms to reduce the risk of local exploitation.