CVE-2022-22639Public exploit

Privilege escalation via unchecked installer path

Published Mar 18, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Privilege escalation in SoftwareUpdate in Apple iOS and iPadOS before 15.4 and macOS before 12.3 allows local users to gain elevated privileges. On macOS, the prepareInstallAssistantWithPath API in suhelperd omits the isClientPort authorization check before passing an attacker-controlled installer path to softwareupdated, which loads OSInstallerSetup.framework from that path. The unchecked XPC request lets a locally running application execute code through the privileged update service; Apple has not disclosed whether the same locus underlies the mobile-platform impact.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability8.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in SoftwareUpdate in Apple iOS and iPadOS before 15.4 and macOS before 12.3 allows local users to gain elevated privileges. On macOS, the prepareInstallAssistantWithPath API in suhelperd omits the isClientPort authorization check before passing an attacker-controlled installer path to softwareupdated, which loads OSInstallerSetup.framework from that path. The unchecked XPC request lets a locally running application execute code through the privileged update service; Apple has not disclosed whether the same locus underlies the mobile-platform impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-22639
Published
Mar 18, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
iOS and iPadOS
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 18, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <15.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · iOS and iPadOSversion=unspecified <15.4
Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <12.3

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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