CVE-2022-32785

Application termination via null-pointer dereference

Published Sep 23, 2022 · Updated May 22, 2025

Null-pointer dereference in Apple ImageIO on affected macOS releases allows attackers to terminate an application via image processing. ImageIO insufficiently validates image input and dereferences a null pointer while processing it. Reaching the flaw requires user interaction with image data, and the documented consequence is denial of service without confidentiality or integrity impact.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.69%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Null-pointer dereference in Apple ImageIO on affected macOS releases allows attackers to terminate an application via image processing. ImageIO insufficiently validates image input and dereferences a null pointer while processing it. Reaching the flaw requires user interaction with image data, and the documented consequence is denial of service without confidentiality or integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-32785
Published
Sep 23, 2022
Updated
May 22, 2025
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 23, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 22, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <11.6
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <12.5
  3. Affected versionversion=unspecified <15.6
  4. Affected versionversion=unspecified <2022

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <11.6; version=unspecified <12.5; version=unspecified <15.6; version=unspecified <2022

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo