CVE-2022-26718
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 out-of-bounds read issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.4, macOS Big Sur 11.6.6. An application may be able to gain elevated privileges.
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 memory safety vulnerability in macOS where insufficient input validation allows an out-of-bounds read operation, which can be exploited by a malicious application to escalate privileges and gain elevated access on the affected system.
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>= 11.0, < 11.6.6>= 12.0.0, < 12.4CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify macOS versionClick Apple menu > About This Mac to display the macOS version numberAffected if Version displays as 11.0 to 11.6.5 (Big Sur) or 12.0.0 to 12.3 (Monterey)
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Confirm build version (optional)In About This Mac, click Version number to reveal the build number (e.g., 20G90)Affected if Build number falls within vulnerable builds for your macOS version
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Check system is exposed to untrusted applicationsVerify if the system runs or permits execution of third-party applications without sandboxing restrictionsAffected if Applications can be executed outside the macOS App Sandbox without additional restrictions
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Assess user privilege contextReview which user accounts have administrative privileges via System Preferences > Users & GroupsAffected if Standard or low-privilege users exist on the system who could be targeted for privilege escalation
The system is affected if it runs macOS Big Sur 11.0 to 11.6.5 or Monterey 12.0.0 to 12.3, since these versions contain the vulnerable input validation logic that could allow a malicious application to perform an out-of-bounds read and escalate privileges.
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 · scoped11.6.612.4
Update macOS devices to Monterey 12.4 or later, or Big Sur 11.6.6 or later, to incorporate the fixed input validation logic that addresses this out-of-bounds read vulnerability.
macOS Big Sur 11.6.6 or macOS Monterey 12.4 (depending on your base OS)
- Check the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac
- Back up important data using Time Machine or another backup solution
- For macOS Big Sur (11.x) users: Install macOS Big Sur 11.6.6 by going to System Preferences > Software Update, or download from the Mac App Store
- For macOS Monterey (12.x) users: Install macOS Monterey 12.4 by going to System Preferences > Software Update, or download from the Mac App Store
- Restart the computer when prompted to complete the installation
- Verify the update was successful by checking the macOS version in About This Mac
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26718 — 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-2022-26718 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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