CVE-2020-9785
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 · uneditedMultiple memory corruption issues were addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4, macOS Catalina 10.15.4, tvOS 13.4, watchOS 6.2. A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
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 confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in Apple kernel (IOKit) allowing a malicious application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Multiple issues addressed with improved state management.
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< 13.4< 13.4< 10.15.4< 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
- 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.
-
Identify the Apple operating systemOn the device, go to Settings > General > About (iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/tvOS) or System Preferences > About (macOS) to see the product nameAffected if The system runs any of iPadOS, iPhone OS, macOS X, tvOS, or watchOS
-
Check the installed version numberNote the version number shown in the About screen (e.g., 13.3.1 for iOS, 10.15.3 for macOS)Affected if The version cannot be determined or is below the fixed release for that product
-
Compare iOS version to thresholdIf the device runs iPhone OS, verify whether the version is less than 13.4 (for example, 13.3, 13.3.1, etc.)Affected if iOS version is < 13.4
-
Compare iPadOS version to thresholdIf the device runs iPadOS, verify whether the version is less than 13.4Affected if iPadOS version is < 13.4
-
Compare macOS version to thresholdIf the system runs macOS X, verify whether the version is less than 10.15.4 (for example, 10.15.3, 10.15.2)Affected if macOS version is < 10.15.4
-
Compare tvOS and watchOS versionsFor tvOS check if version < 13.4; for watchOS check if version < 6.2Affected if tvOS version is < 13.4 OR watchOS version is < 6.2
The system is affected if it runs any of the listed Apple operating systems at a version lower than the corresponding fixed release (iOS/iPadOS/tvOS < 13.4, watchOS < 6.2, macOS < 10.15.4).
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 data6.210.15.413.4
Apply Apple security updates: iOS 13.4+, iPadOS 13.4+, macOS Catalina 10.15.4+, tvOS 13.4+, watchOS 6.2+. Prioritize mobile devices and any system permitting third-party application installation.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9785 — 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-2020-9785 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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