CVE-2022-42865 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2022
This issue was addressed by enabling hardened runtime. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, tvOS 16.2, watchOS 9.2. An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-42865 represents a significant privacy escalation flaw within Apple's operating systems that was remediated through the implementation of hardened runtime protections. This issue affected multiple Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, demonstrating the widespread nature of the privacy concern. The vulnerability specifically allowed malicious applications to bypass the system's privacy preferences mechanisms, which are fundamental controls designed to protect user data and maintain the integrity of privacy settings across the operating environment.
The technical flaw underlying CVE-2022-42865 stems from insufficient restrictions within the system's runtime environment that permitted applications to circumvent the established privacy controls. This weakness was particularly concerning as it undermined the core privacy architecture of Apple's operating systems, where applications are expected to operate within strict boundaries defined by user consent and system policies. The hardened runtime solution implemented by Apple addressed this by strengthening the runtime environment's ability to enforce privacy restrictions and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive user data through application interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple privacy violations to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that could compromise user data confidentiality and integrity. Applications that successfully exploited this flaw could access user information without proper authorization, potentially including location data, personal communications, contacts, and other sensitive information. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and could enable attackers to maintain persistent access to user data while evading detection mechanisms that typically monitor for unauthorized privacy access attempts.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems, and demonstrates how runtime environment weaknesses can create persistent security gaps that affect the entire operating system ecosystem. The remediation through hardened runtime implementation follows the ATT&CK framework's concept of privilege escalation and persistence techniques, where attackers seek to bypass system protections to maintain access. Organizations and users should ensure their systems are updated to the patched versions including iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, tvOS 16.2, and watchOS 9.2 to mitigate this risk. The fix represents a defensive measure that strengthens the runtime environment's ability to enforce system-level privacy controls and prevents unauthorized applications from exploiting these mechanisms to access user data without proper authorization.