CVE-2020-27908
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.1, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 Mojave, macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2, watchOS 7.1, tvOS 14.2. Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to arbitrary code execution.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceCVE-2020-27908 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Apple's audio file processing components. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation when parsing maliciously crafted audio files, which can trigger memory access beyond allocated buffers. This memory disclosure can potentially be leveraged to achieve arbitrary code execution on affected devices.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 14.2< 14.2< 11.0.1< 11.1.0< 14.2< 7.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check iOS/iPadOS versionGo to Settings > General > About and note the version number, or run 'sw_vers' via terminal on a paired MacAffected if Version is below 14.2 (for example, 14.1.x or earlier)
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Check macOS versionGo to Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if Version is below 11.0.1 or below 11.1.0 (specific to the macOS release branch)
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Check tvOS versionGo to Settings > General > About > Version, or use Xcode device managementAffected if Version is below 14.2
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Check watchOS versionOpen the Watch app on paired iPhone, go to General > About, or check via iTunes/FinderAffected if Version is below 7.1
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Confirm audio processing is in useThe vulnerability triggers when parsing audio files. This functionality is built into Core Audio and is enabled by default on all affected Apple operating systems. No manual configuration check needed - simply having the system process audio files (via any app using system audio frameworks) can trigger the flawAffected if System processes untrusted or maliciously crafted audio files
The environment is affected if the installed Apple operating system version falls below the patched versions (iOS/iPadOS/tvOS/watchOS < 14.2, macOS < 11.0.1/11.1.0) and the system can process audio files from untrusted sources.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data7.111.0.111.1.0
Apply the applicable security updates for affected Apple operating systems: macOS Big Sur 11.1/11.0.1, Security Update 2020-001 for Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 for Mojave, iOS 14.2/iPadOS 14.2, watchOS 7.1, and tvOS 14.2.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-27908 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-27908 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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