CVE-2022-32931
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 · uneditedThis issue was addressed with improved data protection. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13. An app with root privileges may be able to access private information.
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 confidenceThis is a macOS data protection vulnerability where an application with root privileges could access private information that should have been protected. The issue was addressed with improved data protection mechanisms and was fixed in macOS Ventura 13. The vulnerability represents an improper access control flaw where even root-level applications were able to bypass data protection safeguards.
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< 13.0CVSS 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
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 versionOpen Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersionAffected if The version displayed is below 13.0 (for example, 12.x, 11.x, etc.)
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Confirm macOS codenameRun: sw_versAffected if The ProductName shows macOS but the ProductVersion is less than 13.0 (Ventura, Monterey is 12.x, Big Sur is 11.x, etc.)
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Verify system is not already patchedCheck Apple security updates: defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist LastSuccessfulDate 2>/dev/null || echo 'No update record found'Affected if The last successful update was applied before the patch date for CVE-2022-32931 and the OS version remains below 13.0
A system is affected if it runs any macOS version prior to 13.0 (Ventura), regardless of configuration, as this is a core OS access control vulnerability.
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 · scoped13.0
Update affected systems to macOS Ventura 13 or later. This is an OS-level patch; no application code changes are required.
macOS Ventura 13.0
- Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before upgrading
- Connect your Mac to a power source to prevent interruption during the upgrade
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Click on "General" and then select "Software Update"
- Wait for macOS Ventura 13.0 to appear in the available updates
- Click "Download and Install" to begin the upgrade process
- Follow the on-screen instructions and restart when prompted to complete the installation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 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-2022-32931 — 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-2022-32931 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