CVE-2022-48577 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2024
An access issue was addressed with improved access restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13. An app may be able to access user-sensitive data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical access control weakness that existed in macOS prior to version 13.0 Ventura, allowing applications to potentially access user-sensitive data through improper access restrictions. The issue stems from inadequate sandboxing mechanisms and insufficient privilege controls that enabled malicious or poorly designed applications to bypass normal security boundaries. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration standard, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically encompassing improper access control within application sandboxing contexts. The flaw manifests when applications fail to properly enforce access restrictions, creating pathways for unauthorized data access that could include personal information, documents, or other sensitive user content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of macOS security model weaknesses where applications could circumvent the standard sandboxing policies that normally isolate app processes from each other and from user data. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the operating system's security architecture where the access control mechanisms that should prevent cross-application data leakage were insufficiently enforced. The vulnerability affects the core security framework that governs how applications interact with system resources, potentially allowing an app with minimal privileges to access data belonging to other applications or user accounts. The issue particularly impacts the way macOS handles inter-process communication and resource sharing, where proper access validation was not consistently applied.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates significant risk for end users as it could enable malicious applications to access sensitive personal information, documents, and system data without proper authorization. Attackers could exploit this weakness to develop applications that silently harvest user data, potentially including confidential files, passwords, or personal communications. The impact extends beyond individual privacy concerns to encompass potential data breaches and unauthorized access to corporate information when users employ the same vulnerable operating systems for work-related tasks. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, specifically targeting the T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing sub-techniques where unauthorized access to user resources occurs through system-level flaws.
The mitigation strategy involves upgrading to macOS Ventura 13.0 or later versions where Apple implemented enhanced access restrictions and improved sandboxing policies. System administrators should ensure all user devices are updated to the latest macOS versions and monitor for applications that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability. Organizations should conduct security assessments to identify potentially vulnerable applications and implement additional monitoring controls for unauthorized data access patterns. The fix addresses the root cause by strengthening the access control mechanisms within the operating system's security model, particularly focusing on proper privilege enforcement and inter-application communication restrictions. Additionally, users should maintain awareness of application permissions and avoid installing untrusted software that may attempt to exploit these access control weaknesses.