CVE-2022-48578 – An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in AppleScr... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-48578?

CVE-2022-48578 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (HIGH). An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in AppleScript processing on macOS Monterey allows attackers to cause unexpected termination or memory disclosure. This affects macOS Monterey users who process untrusted AppleScript files. The vulnerability could expose sensitive process memory to attackers.

📋 TL;DR

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in AppleScript processing on macOS Monterey allows attackers to cause unexpected termination or memory disclosure. This affects macOS Monterey users who process untrusted AppleScript files. The vulnerability could expose sensitive process memory to attackers.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

macOS Monterey

Versions: Versions prior to 12.5

Operating Systems: macOS Monterey

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems processing AppleScript files. Requires user interaction to execute malicious scripts.

📦 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 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Full memory disclosure leading to credential theft, privilege escalation, or complete system compromise via memory corruption.

🟠

Likely Case

Application crashes and limited memory disclosure exposing sensitive information like passwords or session tokens.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if patched or if untrusted AppleScript files are not processed.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local execution of malicious AppleScript files.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited via social engineering or malicious documents within the organization.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires user to execute malicious AppleScript. No public exploit code available.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: macOS Monterey 12.5

Vendor Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213345

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open System Preferences > Software Update. 2. Install macOS Monterey 12.5 update. 3. Restart the system when prompted.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable AppleScript execution

all

Prevent execution of AppleScript files via system policies or application restrictions.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict AppleScript execution to trusted sources only.
Implement application whitelisting to block untrusted AppleScript files.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check macOS version: if running Monterey earlier than 12.5, system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

sw_vers

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify macOS version is 12.5 or later via System Information.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected application crashes related to AppleScript processing
Memory access violation logs

Network Indicators:

No network indicators - local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

Search for process crashes with AppleScript components or osascript execution errors.

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-48578

CVSS v3 Score: 7.1 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-125

Published: June 10, 2024

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213345 Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213345 Vendor Advisory

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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