CVE-2022-22676
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 · uneditedAn event handler validation issue in the XPC Services API was addressed by removing the service. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.2. An application may be able to delete files for which it does not have permission.
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 confidenceA validation flaw in an XPC Services API event handler allowed a malicious application to delete files outside its intended permissions. The vulnerable XPC service was removed as the remediation. This represents a local privilege escalation allowing unauthorized file deletion.
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>= 12.0.0, < 12.2CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or go to Apple menu > About This MacAffected if Version is 12.0.0 or higher but lower than 12.2 (12.0.x through 12.1.x)
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Verify if vulnerable XPC service is presentOn systems below 12.2, check for the presence of the vulnerable XPC service that was removed in the 12.2 update - the specific service name is not publicly documented but exists in the XPC services on affected versionsAffected if The vulnerable XPC service binary exists on the system in versions < 12.2
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Confirm XPC service is activeCheck running XPC services using 'launchctl list' or similar process enumeration tools for the vulnerable service componentAffected if The vulnerable XPC service process is currently running on an unpatched system
User is affected if macOS Monterey is version 12.0.0 through 12.1.x AND the vulnerable XPC service (present in those versions) is installed and active, allowing unauthorized file deletion outside sandboxed permissions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped12.2
Apply the macOS Monterey 12.2 security update, which removes the vulnerable XPC service. No additional configuration required.
macOS Monterey 12.2 or later
- Back up important data on the macOS system before proceeding with the upgrade
- Upgrade to macOS Monterey 12.2 or later via System Preferences > Software Update, or download and install from Apple's website
- After upgrade, verify the system is running macOS 12.2 or higher using About This Mac
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-22676 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-22676 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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