#VU82720 UNIX symbolic link following in macOS - CVE-2022-42857

Vulnerability identifier: #VU82720

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 0.4 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2022-42857

CWE-ID: CWE-61

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
macOS
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Apple Inc.

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to a symlink following issue. A local user can create a specially crafted symbolic link to protected regions of the disk and overwrite files on the system.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

macOS: 12.0 21A344 - 12.3.1 21E258

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External links
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213257

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.