dbcve.org
Mac Os XOperating system · Apple

CVE-2022-22648

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-03-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.15.7 / 11.6.5 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.6.5, macOS Monterey 12.3, Security Update 2022-003 Catalina. An application may be able to read restricted memory.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A memory disclosure vulnerability in macOS allows an application to read restricted memory outside its intended bounds. This is addressed through improved bounds checking or access control checks in the affected macOS versions.

MitigationApply the appropriate Apple security update: macOS Big Sur 11.6.5, macOS Monterey 12.3, or Security Update 2022-003 for Catalina.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:>= 10.15, < 10.15.7= 10.15.7
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 11.6, < 11.6.5>= 12.0, < 12.3= 10.15.7

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine the installed macOS version
    Open Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version returned is 10.15.x (Catalina), 11.6.x through 11.6.4 (Big Sur), or 12.0.x through 12.2.x (Monterey)
  2. Confirm macOS Catalina patch status
    If running 10.15.x, check if Security Update 2022-003 is installed via: defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist LastSuccessfulBuild
    Affected if The build is earlier than the Security Update 2022-003 build (19H1200) or the key does not exist
  3. Confirm macOS Big Sur patch status
    If running 11.6.x, verify the exact minor version via: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version is 11.6, 11.6.1, 11.6.2, 11.6.3, or 11.6.4 (11.6.5 contains the fix)
  4. Confirm macOS Monterey patch status
    If running 12.x, verify the exact minor version via: sw_vers -productVersion
    Affected if The version is 12.0, 12.1, or 12.2 (12.3 contains the fix)

Your environment is affected if the installed macOS version falls within the unpatched ranges: 10.15.x, 11.6-11.6.4, or 12.0-12.2.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 10.15.7 / 11.6.5 / 12.3 or later
Fixed in 10.15.711.6.512.3
Interim mitigation

Apply the appropriate Apple security update: macOS Big Sur 11.6.5, macOS Monterey 12.3, or Security Update 2022-003 for Catalina.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Big Sur 11.6.5, macOS Monterey 12.3, or Security Update 2022-003 Catalina (depending on your current macOS version)

  1. Upgrade to macOS Big Sur 11.6.5 or later if running macOS 11.x
  2. OR upgrade to macOS Monterey 12.3 or later if running macOS 12.x
  3. OR apply Security Update 2022-003 Catalina if running macOS 10.15 (Catalina)
  4. To check current macOS version: Apple menu > About This Mac > Version
  5. To upgrade: Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update
Caveat Standard macOS upgrade considerations apply - review app compatibility and back up data before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mac Os X Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,000
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-22648 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data