Apple iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Input Validation
CVE-2020-9934 is a medium-severity vulnerability in iOS from Apple, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists version iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6 as the first without the flaw, so updating iOS to that release or later removes the exposure. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on September 8, 2022, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.
Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.
What to do
- Update iOS to iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6 or a later version.
- Update macOS to macOS Catalina 10.15.6 or a later version.
- Update iPadOS to 13.6 or a later version.
- CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Read the advisory on support.apple.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | iOS | before iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6 | iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6 |
| Apple | macOS | before macOS Catalina 10.15.6 | macOS Catalina 10.15.6 |
| Apple | iPadOS | before 13.6 | 13.6 |
| Apple | Iphone OS | before 13.6 | 13.6 |
| Apple | Mac OS X | before 10.15.6 | 10.15.6 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 5.5 | Medium | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 5.5 | Medium | CISA (ADP) |
| CVSS 2.0 | 2.1 | Low | NVD |
Official description
An issue existed in the handling of environment variables. This issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.6. A local user may be able to view sensitive user information.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
- Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- support.apple.com/HT211288Release Notes
- support.apple.com/HT211289Release Notes
Third-party and government advisories
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-9934US Government Resource
Other vulnerabilities in iOS
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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