CVE-2022-42807 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/23/2023
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13. A user may accidentally add a participant to a Shared Album by pressing the Delete key
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-42807 represents a logic flaw in Apple's macOS Ventura operating system that affects the management of shared album participants within the Photos application. This issue stems from inadequate state management controls that fail to properly validate user interactions when attempting to modify shared album memberships. The flaw manifests when a user inadvertently triggers the deletion function while interacting with shared album participant lists, leading to unintended addition of participants rather than removal. This represents a classic case of improper input validation and state handling that violates fundamental security principles.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under CWE-254, which encompasses security weaknesses related to improper handling of state information and inadequate input validation. The issue specifically involves a race condition or state management flaw where the application fails to properly distinguish between intended actions and accidental keystrokes during participant management operations. When users press the delete key while navigating shared album participant interfaces, the system incorrectly interprets this action as a command to add rather than remove participants, creating an unintended access control scenario. This misinterpretation occurs due to insufficient state tracking mechanisms that should differentiate between various user intent signals.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users who rely on shared albums for collaborative photo management and privacy control. The unintended addition of participants to shared albums could result in unauthorized individuals gaining access to private photo collections, potentially leading to data exposure and privacy violations. Attackers could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to shared content by simply triggering the delete key while the interface is in a specific state, making this a particularly concerning issue for users who maintain sensitive shared albums. The vulnerability impacts all users running macOS Ventura 13 and potentially earlier versions where the flawed state management logic exists.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-42807 primarily involve immediate deployment of the patched macOS Ventura 13 update that addresses the underlying state management issues. System administrators should ensure all affected devices receive the security update promptly to prevent exploitation. Additionally, users should exercise caution when managing shared album participants and avoid rapid keystrokes or accidental presses of delete keys while interacting with these interfaces. The fix implemented by Apple addresses the core state management logic by introducing proper validation checks that distinguish between intended removal actions and unintended additions, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access and T1078 for valid accounts. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unusual shared album access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unexpected participant additions that occur during normal user interaction sequences.