CVE-2020-9859

HIGH

7.8

CVSS Score

Published: June 5, 2020 at 02:40 PM UTC

Updated: June 17, 2026 at 03:28 AM UTC

5 products affected across 1 vendormacOSiPhone OSiPadOS

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Severity

HIGH7.8

Exploitation

CISA KEV

Exploit prediction

EPSS 0.8%

SSVC

Active

Actively Exploited

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog

EPSS Score0.8%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) estimates a 0.8% chance this CVE is exploited in the wild within the next 30 days — higher than 57% of all CVEs. It complements CVSS: a high EPSS on a mid-severity CVE can still be urgent.

Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS contain an unspecified vulnerability that may allow an application to execute code with kernel privileges.

Required Action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware Use

Unknown

Added to KEV

Nov 3, 2021

Remediation Due

May 3, 2022

1640 days overdue

Notes

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-9859

Description

A memory consumption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.5 Supplemental Update, tvOS 13.4.6, watchOS 6.2.6. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

iPadOS · Apple

95%

v < 13.5.1

Affected range stops below 13.5.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

iPhone OS · Apple

95%

v < 13.5.1v < iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1

Affected range stops below 13.5.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

macOS · Apple

95%

v < 10.15.5v < macOS Catalina 10.15.5 Supplemental Update

Affected range stops below 10.15.5, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below macOS Catalina 10.15.5 Supplemental Update, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

tvOS · Apple

95%

v < 13.4.6v < tvOS 13.4.6

Affected range stops below 13.4.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below tvOS 13.4.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

watchOS · Apple

95%

v < 6.2.6v < watchOS 6.2.6

Affected range stops below 6.2.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below watchOS 6.2.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

Patch and advisory references

https://support.apple.com/HT211214

References (2)

x_refsource_MISCRelease NotesVendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://support.apple.com/HT211214

US Government Resource

Source: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-9859

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCActiveNot automatableTotal impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.8HIGHCISA-ADP

Attack Vector: LOCAL
Complexity: LOW
Privileges: LOW
User Interaction: NONE
Scope: UNCHANGED
Confidentiality: HIGH
Integrity: HIGH
Availability: HIGH

Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED

CWE

CWE-415

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