CVE-2022-26718
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2022-26718 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in macOS that could allow an application to read memory beyond allocated boundaries. If exploited, this could lead to privilege escalation where malicious applications gain elevated system privileges. This affects macOS Monterey before version 12.4 and macOS Big Sur before version 11.6.6.
💻 Affected Systems
- macOS
📦 What is this software?
Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →Macos by Apple
macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...
Learn more about Macos →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker gains full root privileges on the system, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, and persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation where a user-level application gains elevated privileges to perform unauthorized actions or access protected resources.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing and security controls preventing malicious applications from executing.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires a malicious application to be executed on the target system. No public exploit code has been disclosed as of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: macOS Monterey 12.4, macOS Big Sur 11.6.6
Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213256
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open System Preferences > Software Update. 2. Install available updates for macOS. 3. Restart the system when prompted. 4. Verify the update completed successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Application Restriction
allRestrict installation and execution of untrusted applications using macOS security controls
sudo spctl --master-enable
sudo spctl --enable --label "Developer ID"
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict application allowlisting to prevent execution of untrusted applications
- Use macOS Gatekeeper and XProtect to block known malicious applications
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check macOS version: if running macOS Monterey earlier than 12.4 or macOS Big Sur earlier than 11.6.6, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
sw_versVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macOS version is 12.4 or later for Monterey, or 11.6.6 or later for Big Sur.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events in system logs
- Applications requesting elevated privileges without user interaction
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="macos_system_logs" AND (event="privilege_escalation" OR process="sudo" OR process="su")