CVE-2022-32794: Understanding the Logic Issue and Protection with Improved State Management in macOS

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has identified a new logic issue, CVE-2022-32794, which could allow an application to gain elevated privileges on a system running macOS. This vulnerability has been addressed in Security Update 2022-004 Catalina, macOS Monterey 12.4, and macOS Big Sur 11.6.6. In this post, we will dive deep into this issue, provide code examples for better understanding, and share links to relevant references and resources for further information.

CVE-2022-32794 Details

The CVE-2022-32794 is a security vulnerability present in certain versions of macOS. This vulnerability is a logic issue originating from poor state management, which could potentially allow an application to gain elevated privileges when executed on an affected system.

Exploit Scenario

Consider a malicious actor who manages to convince an unsuspecting user to download and run a seemingly harmless app. In reality, this application contains code that takes advantage of the CVE-2022-32794 vulnerability. When executed, the code snippet may look something like this:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>

int main() {
  uid_t real_uid = getuid();
  uid_t eff_uid = geteuid();

  printf("Before exploiting CVE-2022-32794\n");
  printf("Real UID: %d\n", real_uid);
  printf("Effective UID: %d\n", eff_uid);

  // Exploit logic goes here
  
  real_uid = getuid();
  eff_uid = geteuid();

  printf("After exploiting CVE-2022-32794\n");
  printf("Real UID: %d\n", real_uid);
  printf("Effective UID: %d\n", eff_uid);

  return ;
}

The above hypothetical code snippet first prints the user's real and effective user IDs (UIDs). After the exploit logic is executed, it should display the same UIDs but altered with elevated privileges.

macOS Big Sur 11.6.6

It is highly recommended that macOS users install the appropriate updates or patches to protect their systems from this vulnerability.

Original References and Additional Resources

For more information on the CVE-2022-32794 vulnerability and its associated patch updates, please refer to the following resources:

1. Apple Security Advisories - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213031
2. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) - https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-32794

Conclusion

The CVE-2022-32794 vulnerability is a severe issue that could allow a malicious app to gain elevated privileges, posing a risk to systems running affected versions of macOS. It is crucial for macOS users to ensure that they have installed the necessary security updates to protect their systems from potential exploitation. By staying informed about this and other similar security vulnerabilities, users can maintain the integrity and security of their digital environments.

Timeline

Published on: 11/01/2022 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/03/2022 13:37:00 UTC