CVE-2022-32821 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/23/2022
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in watchOS 8.7, tvOS 15.6, iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, macOS Monterey 12.5. An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2025
This memory corruption vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that allows malicious applications to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with kernel-level access. The issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the operating system's kernel components, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate memory structures and gain unauthorized system control. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple operating systems including iOS 15.6, iPadOS 15.6, watchOS 8.7, tvOS 15.6, and macOS Monterey 12.5, indicating a widespread impact across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw specifically enables a condition where an app can leverage improper memory handling to transition from user-space to kernel-space execution, bypassing standard security boundaries that typically protect system integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. These classifications reflect the underlying memory corruption patterns that allow attackers to overwrite critical memory regions and manipulate execution flow. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an app to be installed on the target device, as the attack vector involves leveraging application-level code to trigger kernel-level memory corruption. This represents a privilege escalation attack pattern that can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation', and T1547.001, which covers 'Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder' in the context of maintaining persistent access through kernel-level modifications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete system compromise capabilities, enabling them to bypass all standard security protections including sandboxing, code signing enforcement, and system integrity protection mechanisms. Once exploited, the malicious application could access all system resources, read sensitive data, modify system files, and potentially install additional malware without detection. The vulnerability's presence in multiple operating systems suggests a fundamental flaw in Apple's kernel memory management that affects devices ranging from smartphones and tablets to desktop computers and wearable devices. Security researchers have noted that such kernel-level vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they operate below the normal security monitoring capabilities of the operating system, making detection and prevention extremely challenging.
The fix implemented in the patched versions addresses the root cause through improved input validation and memory boundary checking mechanisms. Apple's security update incorporates additional safeguards that prevent the memory corruption conditions from being exploited, including enhanced buffer overflow protection and stricter validation of memory access patterns. Organizations and individuals should immediately apply the security updates to mitigate the risk of exploitation, as the vulnerability could be actively exploited in the wild given its high severity and the broad range of affected devices. The patch demonstrates Apple's approach to addressing kernel-level memory corruption through proactive security measures that include enhanced memory management routines and additional validation checks within the operating system's core components, aligning with industry best practices for preventing privilege escalation attacks.