CVE-2022-42821Public exploit

Untrusted app execution via restrictive archive ACLs

Published Dec 15, 2022 · Updated Apr 21, 2025

Gatekeeper bypass in Apple macOS before 11.7.2, 12.6.2, or 13 allows attackers to launch untrusted apps from crafted archives. The BOM archive extractor restores a restrictive ACL from an AppleDouble entry before quarantine metadata is applied, blocking com.apple.quarantine from being written. A user must download and open the archive's app; successful exploitation suppresses Gatekeeper trust checks and runs the payload with the user's privileges.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability3.90%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Gatekeeper bypass in Apple macOS before 11.7.2, 12.6.2, or 13 allows attackers to launch untrusted apps from crafted archives. The BOM archive extractor restores a restrictive ACL from an AppleDouble entry before quarantine metadata is applied, blocking com.apple.quarantine from being written. A user must download and open the archive's app; successful exploitation suppresses Gatekeeper trust checks and runs the payload with the user's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-42821
Published
Dec 15, 2022
Updated
Apr 21, 2025
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-693, T1204.002, T1553.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 15, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 21, 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 <11.7
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <12.6
  3. Affected versionversion=unspecified <13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <11.7; version=unspecified <12.6; version=unspecified <13

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

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.

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-693Protection Mechanism Failure
T1204.002Malicious File
T1553.001Gatekeeper Bypass

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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