CVE-2022-26741
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 · uneditedA buffer overflow issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.4. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel 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 buffer overflow vulnerability in the macOS kernel allows a local application to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. This memory safety flaw was addressed through improved memory handling in macOS Monterey 12.4.
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, < 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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Confirm macOS is the operating systemCheck if the target system is running macOS. On Mac systems, open System Preferences > About or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if System is running macOS (this vulnerability only affects macOS)
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Determine the installed macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -productVersion' in Terminal or click Apple menu > About This Mac to view the exact version number (e.g., 12.3.1, 12.2, 12.0)Affected if Version is 12.0, 12.1, 12.2, or 12.3 (any version from 12.0 up to but not including 12.4)
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Verify kernel patch version if applicableRun 'uname -a' to confirm kernel version; for additional confirmation, check Apple security notes for build number matching version 12.4Affected if Kernel/build version corresponds to an unpatched 12.0-12.3 release
User is affected if macOS Monterey version is 12.0, 12.1, 12.2, or 12.3 (any version >= 12.0 and < 12.4). Version 12.4 or later is patched and not affected.
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 · scoped12.4
Apply macOS Monterey 12.4 or later security update to patch the kernel buffer overflow and prevent local privilege escalation to kernel level.
macOS Monterey 12.4
- Back up all important data on the affected Mac before proceeding with the update
- Verify the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu > About This Mac
- Open the App Store application and search for macOS Monterey 12.4, or click Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update
- Download and install macOS Monterey 12.4 following the on-screen prompts
- Restart the Mac when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26741 — 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-2022-26741 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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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.
- 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