dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2022-32840

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-08-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.7 / 12.5 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.5, watchOS 8.7, iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6. An app 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 confidence

Kernel privilege escalation vulnerability in Apple operating systems (macOS, watchOS, iOS, iPadOS) where an application could execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges due to insufficient validation checks.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches by updating to macOS Monterey 12.5+, iOS/iPadOS 15.6+, or watchOS 8.7+ as appropriate for affected devices.

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
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 15.6
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 15.6
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 12.0, < 12.5
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 8.7

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check macOS version
    On macOS, click the Apple menu > About This Mac. Note the version number displayed (e.g., 12.4). Alternatively, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal.
    Affected if Version is 12.0, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, or 12.4 (any macOS Monterey version below 12.5)
  2. Check iOS or iPadOS version
    On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > About. Note the version number displayed (e.g., 15.5).
    Affected if Version is below 15.6 (any iOS/iPadOS 15.x version prior to 15.6)
  3. Check watchOS version
    On Apple Watch, open the Watch app on paired iPhone, go to My Watch > General > About, and note the watchOS version. Or on the watch itself, go to Settings > General > About.
    Affected if Version is below 8.7 (any watchOS 8.x version prior to 8.7)

The device is affected if it runs any macOS version from 12.0 through 12.4, any iOS/iPadOS version below 15.6, or any watchOS version below 8.7.

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 8.7 / 12.5 / 15.6 or later
Fixed in 8.712.515.6
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches by updating to macOS Monterey 12.5+, iOS/iPadOS 15.6+, or watchOS 8.7+ as appropriate for affected devices.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Monterey 12.5, watchOS 8.7, iOS 15.6, or iPadOS 15.6 depending on device

  1. Identify the affected Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch)
  2. Check the current OS version in Settings > General > Software Update (iOS/iPadOS) or System Preferences > Software Update (macOS)
  3. For iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install iOS 15.6 or iPadOS 15.6
  4. For Mac: Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install macOS Monterey 12.5
  5. For Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > Software Update and install watchOS 8.7
  6. Restart the device after the update completes
Caveat Standard OS update - ensure backups exist before updating

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

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
2.0 hours of engineering $750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

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-2022-32840 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