dbcve.org
Mac Os XOperating system · Apple

CVE-2022-26697

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-05-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.15.7 / 11.6.6 or later.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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
An out-of-bounds read issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in Security Update 2022-004 Catalina, macOS Monterey 12.4, macOS Big Sur 11.6.6. Processing a maliciously crafted AppleScript binary may result in unexpected application termination or disclosure of process 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 · high confidence

Out-of-bounds read vulnerability in macOS AppleScript binary parsing allows memory disclosure or application crash via specially crafted AppleScript files due to insufficient input validation in the parsing component.

MitigationApply the relevant macOS security update (2022-004 for Catalina, 12.4 for Monterey, or 11.6.6 for Big Sur) to patch the vulnerable AppleScript parsing component.

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:>= 11.0, < 11.6.6>= 12.0.0, < 12.4

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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

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. Identify the installed macOS version
    Click the Apple menu, select 'About This Mac', and note the version number displayed under the macOS name; alternatively, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal
    Affected if The version is 10.15.7, 11.0-11.6.5, or 12.0-12.3 (these are the vulnerable versions)
  2. Confirm the exact macOS build number
    Run 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' in Terminal or check 'About This Mac' > 'System Report' > 'Software'; note the Build version shown
    Affected if The build number falls within the vulnerable release cycles for your macOS major version
  3. Verify AppleScript component is present
    Run 'osascript -e "run script \"return 1\""' in Terminal to confirm AppleScript interpreter is functional
    Affected if AppleScript is functional (which it is by default on all supported macOS installations)
  4. Check for installed security updates
    Open System Preferences > Software Update, or run 'system_profiler SPInstallHistoryDataType' in Terminal to review installed updates
    Affected if No relevant security update (2022-004 for 10.15, 11.6.6 for 11.x, or 12.4 for 12.x) appears in the update history

You are affected if your macOS version is 10.15.7, falls between 11.0-11.6.5, or falls between 12.0-12.3 and the corresponding security update has not been installed.

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 / 11.6.6 / 12.4 or later
Fixed in 10.15.711.6.612.4
Interim mitigation

Apply the relevant macOS security update (2022-004 for Catalina, 12.4 for Monterey, or 11.6.6 for Big Sur) to patch the vulnerable AppleScript parsing component.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Catalina: Security Update 2022-004 Catalina | macOS Big Sur: 11.6.6 | macOS Monterey: 12.4

  1. Open System Preferences (macOS 10.15-11) or System Settings (macOS 12+)
  2. Click on Software Update
  3. Allow macOS to check for updates
  4. If updates are available, click Update Now or Download to install the security update
  5. Restart the system if prompted
  6. Alternatively, you can manually download the update from Apple Support: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Caveat Security updates are typically low-risk; they address security issues without changing functionality. Ensure compatible applications 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
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $910
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,456.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26697 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2022-26697 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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