dbcve.org
macOSOperating system · Apple

CVE-2022-42809

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-11-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.0 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
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13. Processing a maliciously crafted gcx file may lead to unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution.

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 · high confidence

A memory handling vulnerability exists in macOS when processing maliciously crafted gcx (Graphics Configuration eXchange) files. The vulnerability allows memory corruption during file parsing, leading to either application termination or potential arbitrary code execution. The issue stems from inadequate bounds checking or improper memory allocation/deallocation when parsing the gcx file format.

MitigationApply macOS Ventura 13 or later security updates. Avoid opening gcx files from untrusted sources until the patch is applied. This is a local attack vector requiring the victim to process a specially crafted file.

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
macOSOperating system
Affected:< 13.0

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 the installed macOS version
    Go to Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in Terminal, or check System Preferences > General > About
    Affected if The version displayed is earlier than 13.0 (Ventura)
  2. Identify applications that process gcx files
    Search for applications capable of opening .gcx files using 'mdfind' or manually check applications in /Applications that handle graphics or configuration files
    Affected if Any gcx-capable application is installed and the macOS version is below 13.0
  3. Locate gcx files on the system
    Use Terminal command: 'find ~ -name "*.gcx" 2>/dev/null' or 'mdfind "kMDItemFSName == *.gcx"' to search for gcx files in user directories
    Affected if Any gcx files exist on the system and the macOS version is below 13.0
  4. Review recent file processing activity
    Check system and application logs for gcx file access using Console app or command 'log show --predicate "eventMessage contains[cd] \"gcx\"" --last 7d'
    Affected if Any gcx files were recently opened or processed and the macOS version is below 13.0

The system is affected if the installed macOS version is earlier than 13.0 and any application capable of processing gcx files is used or gcx files are present on the system.

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 13.0 or later
Fixed in 13.0
Interim mitigation

Apply macOS Ventura 13 or later security updates. Avoid opening gcx files from untrusted sources until the patch is applied. This is a local attack vector requiring the victim to process a specially crafted file.

Recommended fix High confidence

macOS Ventura 13.0 or later

  1. Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution before starting the update
  2. Connect your Mac to a power source to ensure the update completes without interruption
  3. Open System Preferences (on macOS Monterey and earlier) or System Settings (on macOS Ventura and later)
  4. Click on 'Software Update' in the sidebar
  5. If macOS Ventura 13.0 or later is available, click 'Update Now' or 'Upgrade Now'
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the update
  7. Restart your Mac when prompted to complete the installation
  8. After updating, verify the installation by going to Apple menu > About This Mac to confirm the macOS version is 13.0 or later
Caveat Ensure compatible applications and check system requirements before upgrading; some older software may not be supported on Ventura

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

Fix this in macOS Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,880
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,808.

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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-2022-42809 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