CVE-2022-32819

Root privilege escalation via File System Events logic

Published Sep 23, 2022 · Updated May 22, 2025

Privilege escalation in macOS before 12.5, watchOS before 8.7, and tvOS before 15.6 allows local users to gain root privileges. Apple identifies File System Events as the locus and says its state-management logic is faulty, but has not published the affected function or state transition. Exploitation requires execution of a crafted local app; successful exploitation grants root-level control.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.35%
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 macOS before 12.5, watchOS before 8.7, and tvOS before 15.6 allows local users to gain root privileges. Apple identifies File System Events as the locus and says its state-management logic is faulty, but has not published the affected function or state transition. Exploitation requires execution of a crafted local app; successful exploitation grants root-level control.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-32819
Published
Sep 23, 2022
Updated
May 22, 2025
Vendor
Apple
Product
tvOS
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
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

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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 <15.6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · tvOSversion=unspecified <15.6
Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <11.6; version=unspecified <12.5; version=unspecified <2022
Apple · watchOSversion=unspecified <15.6; version=unspecified <8.7

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 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-269Improper Privilege Management
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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

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Your stack

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