Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2022-42788 is an Apple macOS permissions flaw that could let a malicious app read sensitive location information. It requires a local malicious application and user interaction per CVSS. Apple says the issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13 through improved permission validation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate privacy risk for Mac fleets. Prioritize patch verification where location data sensitivity matters, especially executive, field, regulated, or high-trust user devices.
Technical view
The issue maps to CWE-863. A macOS permissions validation flaw allowed sensitive location data disclosure to a malicious application. CVSS 3.1 score is 5.5: local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, user interaction required, unchanged scope, and high confidentiality impact only.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on macOS devices that have not received the macOS Ventura 13 fix. The provided sources do not identify exact affected macOS versions beyond Apple macOS and the Ventura 13 remediation.
Exploitation context
No source in the bundle states active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV. The described scenario is local: a user would need to run a malicious application that abuses the permissions issue to read location data.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to Apple and CVE records. The public description names a permissions issue and improved permission validation, but does not provide vulnerable version ranges, exploit details, indicators of compromise, or separate mitigations.
Mitigation direction
- Update eligible Macs to macOS Ventura 13 per Apple guidance.
- Review Apple security guidance for any platform-specific update path.
- Restrict installation and execution of untrusted macOS applications.
- Use endpoint controls to detect suspicious access to location-related data.
- Confirm fleet patch compliance through device management reporting.
Validation and detection
- Inventory macOS devices and identify versions below Ventura 13.
- Confirm the Apple security update is installed on managed Macs.
- Review MDM compliance reports for overdue macOS updates.
- Check endpoint telemetry for unknown applications accessing sensitive location data.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-863: Authorization and privilege behavior lookup
Authorization weaknesses can support privilege escalation and valid-account review, depending on exploit path. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2022-42788 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N1.83.6Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213488CVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Incorrect Authorization
Incorrect Authorization represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.