SafariWeb browser · Apple
CVE-2020-3897
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 · uneditedA type confusion issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4, tvOS 13.4, watchOS 6.2, Safari 13.1, iTunes for Windows 12.10.5, iCloud for Windows 10.9.3, iCloud for Windows 7.18. A remote attacker may be able to cause 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 · high confidenceA type confusion vulnerability in WebKit allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code by tricking a user into visiting a maliciously crafted webpage. The issue stems from improper memory handling when the browser misinterprets objects of different types, potentially allowing memory corruption and code execution.
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
SafariWeb browser
< 13.1< 7.18>= 10.0.0, < 10.9.3< 12.10.5< 13.4< 13.4< 13.4< 6.2CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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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Identify installed Apple productsCheck which of the following Apple applications are present on the system: Safari, iTunes for Windows, iCloud for Windows, or check the device OS version for iOS/iPadOS/tvOS/watchOS devicesAffected if Any of these products are installed on the system or device
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Check Safari versionOpen Safari, go to Safari > About Safari (on Mac) or Help > About Safari (on Windows) to view the exact version numberAffected if Safari version is earlier than 13.1
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Check iTunes for Windows versionOpen iTunes, go to Help > About iTunes to view the version numberAffected if iTunes version is earlier than 12.10.5
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Check iCloud for Windows versionOpen iCloud, click the menu icon (three dots) or go to Help > About iCloud to view the version numberAffected if iCloud for Windows version is earlier than 7.18, or between 10.0.0 and 10.9.2 inclusive
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Check iOS/iPadOS/tvOS/watchOS versionOn the device, go to Settings > General > About to view the version number; for tvOS check Settings > General > About > VersionAffected if iOS or iPadOS is earlier than 13.4, tvOS is earlier than 13.4, or watchOS is earlier than 6.2
The environment is affected if any installed Apple product (Safari, iTunes, iCloud for Windows, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, or watchOS) has a version lower than the thresholds specified (13.1 for Safari, 12.10.5 for iTunes, 7.18 or 10.9.3 for iCloud, 13.4 for iOS/iPadOS/tvOS, 6.2 for watchOS).
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 data6.27.1810.9.3
Apply the vendor-supplied updates: iOS 13.4 and later, iPadOS 13.4 and later, tvOS 13.4 and later, watchOS 6.2 and later, Safari 13.1 and later, or respective iTunes/iCloud for Windows versions.
Fix this in Safari
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-3897 — 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-2020-3897 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data