VulnerabilityPublished 10 Jan 2024Updated 3 Jun 2025

CVE-2022-48504: Apple macOS · An app may be able to access user-sensitive data

Affects Apple macOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 13 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 13

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Jan 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade Apple macOS to 13.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Apple macOS	Affected <13	Fixed in 13

AI-suggested

European organizations should prioritize updating all macOS systems to Ventura 13 or later where the vulnerability is fixed. Given the vulnerability requires user interaction, organizations should enforce strict application control policies, such as using Apple’s Gatekeeper and notarization checks to prevent untrusted apps from running. Implement endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting suspicious local app behavior. Educate users about the risks of installing unverified software and phishing attempts that may lead to running malicious apps. Employ least privilege principles to limit user permissions and reduce the impact of potential exploitation. Regularly audit installed applications and monitor for unusual access patterns to sensitive data. For environments with high security requirements, consider restricting macOS device usage to managed and vetted applications only. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly respond if a breach is suspected.

Description

The issue was addressed with improved handling of caches. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.

Impact

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 could face data leakage risks if malicious applications are introduced, either through social engineering or insider threats. The requirement for user interaction reduces the risk of remote exploitation but does not eliminate it, especially in environments where users may install untrusted software. Sensitive data exposure could include personal information, credentials, or corporate data cached by the OS, potentially leading to privacy violations and regulatory compliance issues under GDPR. The impact is heightened for sectors handling sensitive personal or financial data, such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies. While no integrity or availability impacts are noted, the confidentiality breach alone can lead to reputational damage, legal penalties, and loss of customer trust. The lack of known exploits suggests a window of opportunity for organizations to patch and mitigate before active exploitation occurs.

References

support.apple.com/en-us/HT213488 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Jul 2025, 14:26 UTC

Technical details

References

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