CVE-2022-32942
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 · uneditedThe issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Monterey 12.6.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, macOS Big Sur 11.7.2. 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 confidenceA memory handling vulnerability in macOS kernel allows a local application to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level (ring 0) privileges. This is a privilege escalation flaw requiring an attacker to have local code execution capability first.
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, < 11.7.2>= 12.0.0, < 12.6.2= 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
- 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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Check installed macOS versionOpen Terminal and run: sw_vers -productVersionAffected if The version shown is 11.0 through 11.7.1, 12.0.0 through 12.6.1, or 13.0 exactly (these are the unpatched vulnerable versions)
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Confirm kernel version as secondary checkRun: uname -r in TerminalAffected if The kernel version starts with 20.x (for 11.x), 21.x or 22.x (for 12.x), or 22.x (for 13.0) - indicating an unpatched release
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Check last security update dateOpen System Settings > General > Software Update, or run: defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist LastSuccessfulDateAffected if The last security update was applied before October 2022 (when the patches were released)
You are affected if your macOS version is 11.7.1 or earlier, 12.6.1 or earlier, or exactly 13.0 and security updates have not been applied since October 2022.
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 · scoped11.7.212.6.2
Apply the appropriate macOS security update: Monterey 12.6.2, Ventura 13.1, or Big Sur 11.7.2 depending on the deployed OS version.
macOS Big Sur 11.7.2, macOS Monterey 12.6.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1 (depending on current major version)
- Identify the current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting About This Mac
- If running macOS Big Sur 11.0-11.7.1, upgrade to macOS Big Sur 11.7.2 or later
- If running macOS Monterey 12.0.0-12.6.1, upgrade to macOS Monterey 12.6.2 or later
- If running macOS Ventura 13.0, upgrade to macOS Ventura 13.1 or later
- To upgrade, go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install the available update
- Restart the device after the update completes
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
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-32942 — 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-2022-32942 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
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