CVE-2022-32946 is a vulnerability identified in Apple iOS and iPadOS that potentially allows a malicious application to record audio through a pair of connected AirPods without the user's explicit consent. The root cause of this issue lies in insufficient entitlement checks, which are security controls that restrict app capabilities. Specifically, the vulnerability permits an app to bypass these entitlements and access the microphone input via AirPods, thereby capturing audio surreptitiously. This flaw affects versions of iOS and iPadOS prior to 16.1, where the entitlement enforcement was improved to mitigate this risk. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control), indicating that the system failed to adequately restrict access to sensitive resources. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N) indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), with no confidentiality impact (C:N), but high integrity impact (I:H) and no availability impact (A:N). There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date, and the issue was addressed by Apple in iOS and iPadOS 16.1 through improved entitlement enforcement. This vulnerability highlights the risk of unauthorized audio surveillance via trusted peripherals like AirPods when app permissions are not properly enforced.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant privacy and security risk, especially in sectors where confidentiality of conversations is critical, such as legal, financial, healthcare, and government institutions. An attacker leveraging this flaw could potentially record sensitive discussions or confidential meetings without detection, leading to intellectual property theft, data leakage, or regulatory non-compliance with GDPR and other privacy laws. The requirement for local access and user interaction somewhat limits remote exploitation, but social engineering or insider threats could facilitate an attack. The use of AirPods and other Bluetooth audio devices is widespread in professional environments across Europe, increasing the attack surface. Additionally, organizations with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies may face increased risk if employees use vulnerable iOS or iPadOS devices connected to corporate networks. The integrity impact is high, as unauthorized audio recording compromises the trustworthiness of communications. While availability and confidentiality impacts are minimal, the breach of privacy and potential legal ramifications can be severe.

European organizations should prioritize updating all iOS and iPadOS devices to version 16.1 or later to ensure the entitlement enforcement fix is applied. Device management policies should enforce timely OS updates and restrict installation of untrusted or unnecessary applications, especially those requesting microphone access. Implement Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to monitor and control app permissions rigorously. Educate users about the risks of granting microphone access and the importance of verifying app legitimacy before installation. For sensitive environments, consider restricting or monitoring the use of Bluetooth audio peripherals like AirPods, or use enterprise-approved devices with enhanced security controls. Network segmentation and endpoint detection solutions can help identify anomalous audio recording behaviors. Regular audits of device configurations and permissions should be conducted to detect and remediate potential misconfigurations. Finally, organizations should have incident response plans that include scenarios involving unauthorized audio capture.