CVE-2022-3421
Privilege escalation in Google Drive for Desktop on MacOS
An attacker can pre-create the /Applications/Google\ Drive.app/Contents/MacOS directory which is expected to be owned by root to be owned by a non-root user. When the Drive for Desktop installer is run for the first time, it will place a binary in that directory with execute permissions and set its setuid bit. Since the attacker owns the directory, the attacker can replace the binary with a symlink, causing the installer to set the setuid bit on the symlink. When the symlink is executed, it will run with root permissions. We recommend upgrading past version 64.0
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Privilege escalation in Google Drive for Desktop on MacOS
An attacker can pre-create the /Applications/Google\ Drive.app/Contents/MacOS directory which is expected to be owned by root to be owned by a non-root user. When the Drive for Desktop installer is run for the first time, it will place a binary in that directory with execute permissions and set its setuid bit. Since the attacker owns the directory, the attacker can replace the binary with a symlink, causing the installer to set the setuid bit on the symlink. When the symlink is executed, it will run with root permissions. We recommend upgrading past version 64.0
- Record
CVE-2022-3421- CVSS 3.1
- 5.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-264
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2022-42798
An attacker can pre-create the /Applications/Google\ Drive.app/Contents/MacOS directory which is expected to be owned by root to be owned by a non-root user. When the Drive for Desktop installer is run for the first time, it will place a binary in that directory with execute permissions and set its setuid bit. Since the attacker owns the directory, the attacker can replace the binary with a symlink, causing the installer to set the setuid bit on the symlink. When the symlink is executed, it will run with root permissions. We recommend upgrading past version 64.0
- Record
EUVD-2022-42798- CVSS 3.1
- 5.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-g3jf-h663-mqrx
An attacker can pre-create the `/Applications/Google\ Drive.app/Contents/MacOS` directory which...
An attacker can pre-create the /Applications/Google\ Drive.app/Contents/MacOS directory which is expected to be owned by root to be owned by a non-root user. When the Drive for Desktop installer is run for the first time, it will place a binary in that directory with execute permissions and set its setuid bit. Since the attacker owns the directory, the attacker can replace the binary with a symlink, causing the installer to set the setuid bit on the symlink. When the symlink is executed, it will run with root permissions. We recommend upgrading past version 64.0
- Record
GHSA-g3jf-h663-mqrx- CVSS 3.1
- 7.3 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
An attacker can pre-create the /Applications/Google\ Drive.app/Contents/MacOS directory which is expected to be owned by root to be owned by a non-root user. When the Drive for Desktop installer is run for the first time, it will place a binary in that directory with execute permissions and set its setuid bit. Since the attacker owns the directory, the attacker can replace the binary with a symlink, causing the installer to set the setuid bit on the symlink. When the symlink is executed, it will run with root permissions. We recommend upgrading past version 64.0
- Record
CVE-2022-3421- CVSS 3.1
- 5.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 7.3 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-264, CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2022-3421 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.6) in Google Drive, published October 17, 2022. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.12%, the 2nd percentile. No source names a fixed version.