CVE-2022-37877 is a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the ClearPass OnGuard macOS agent component of Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager versions 6.10.x (6.10.6 and below) and 6.9.x (6.9.11 and below). This vulnerability allows a malicious user who already has access to a macOS instance running the vulnerable ClearPass OnGuard agent to escalate their privileges to root level. Exploitation involves executing arbitrary code with root privileges, thereby compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. The vulnerability is characterized by low attack complexity and requires only limited privileges (local user) without any user interaction. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Aruba has released patches addressing this vulnerability, and organizations are urged to upgrade to fixed versions to mitigate risk. No known exploits in the wild have been reported to date, but the potential impact of successful exploitation is significant given the elevated privileges gained.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-37877 can be substantial, especially for enterprises and service providers relying on Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager for network access control and policy enforcement. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain root access on macOS endpoints running the vulnerable OnGuard agent, potentially leading to full system compromise, unauthorized access to sensitive network resources, and lateral movement within corporate networks. This could result in data breaches, disruption of network security policies, and compromise of network integrity. Given the critical role of ClearPass in managing network access, exploitation could undermine trust in network security controls and lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is exposed or mishandled. The threat is particularly relevant for organizations with macOS endpoints integrated into their network access control infrastructure.

European organizations should immediately verify their ClearPass Policy Manager versions and OnGuard macOS agent deployments to identify vulnerable instances. The primary mitigation is to upgrade Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager to versions above 6.10.6 or 6.9.11 as applicable, where the vulnerability has been patched. Additionally, organizations should: 1) Restrict local user access on macOS endpoints to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 2) Implement endpoint security controls such as application whitelisting and behavior monitoring to detect anomalous privilege escalation attempts. 3) Regularly audit and monitor logs from ClearPass and macOS endpoints for signs of suspicious activity. 4) Enforce strict network segmentation to limit the impact of a compromised endpoint. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of local privilege escalation vulnerabilities and the importance of timely patching. 6) Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting privilege escalation techniques on macOS.