UNIX symbolic link following in macOS - CVE-2022-26704
Published: May 16, 2022
Vulnerability identifier: #VU63276
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 4.8 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2022-26704
CWE-ID: CWE-61
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.
The vulnerability exists due to a symlink following issue in Spotlight. A local user can create a specially crafted symbolic link to a critical file on the system and overwrite it with privileges of the application.
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in privilege escalation.
Affected software
macOS
iPadOS
Apple iOS
iPadOS
Apple iOS
How to mitigate CVE-2022-26704
Install updates from vendor's website.
macOS - addressed in versions 12.4 21F79, 10.15.7 19H2026, 11.6.8 20G730
iPadOS - update to 15.5 19F77
Apple iOS - update to 15.5 19F77
iPadOS - update to 15.5 19F77
Apple iOS - update to 15.5 19F77