SafariWeb browser · Apple
CVE-2020-9862
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 command injection issue existed in Web Inspector. This issue was addressed with improved escaping. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6, tvOS 13.4.8, watchOS 6.2.8, Safari 13.1.2, iTunes 12.10.8 for Windows, iCloud for Windows 11.3, iCloud for Windows 7.20. Copying a URL from Web Inspector may lead to command injection.
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 confidenceA command injection vulnerability existed in Web Inspector where copying a URL could lead to arbitrary command execution due to insufficient escaping of the URL when processed in a shell context. The fix involved implementing proper escaping to prevent shell interpretation of special characters in copied URLs.
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
< 13.1.2< 7.20>= 11.0, < 11.3< 12.10.8< 13.6< 13.6< 13.4.8< 6.2.8CVSS 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 Safari version on macOSOpen Safari, go to Safari menu > About Safari. Note the version number displayed.Affected if Version is earlier than 13.1.2
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Check iOS or iPadOS version on iPhone/iPadOpen Settings > General > About. Note the version number next to 'Version'.Affected if Version is earlier than 13.6 (iOS) or 13.6 (iPadOS)
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Check if Web Inspector is enabled on iOS/iPadOSOpen Settings > Safari > Advanced. Look for the Web Inspector toggle.Affected if Web Inspector is turned ON on an affected iOS/iPadOS version (before 13.6)
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Check tvOS or watchOS versionOn Apple TV: Go to Settings > General > About > Version. On Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on iPhone, go to General > About.Affected if tvOS version is earlier than 13.4.8, or watchOS version is earlier than 6.2.8
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Check iTunes version on Windows or older macOSOpen iTunes, go to Help > About iTunes. Note the version number.Affected if Version is earlier than 12.10.8
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Check iCloud for Windows versionOpen iCloud, click the gear icon > About iCloud. Note the version number.Affected if Version is earlier than 7.20 or between 11.0 and 11.3
You are affected if you use any affected product version AND have Web Inspector enabled, as the vulnerability triggers when copying a URL through Web Inspector to a shell context.
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 data6.2.87.2011.3
Update to the fixed versions (iOS 13.6+, iPadOS 13.6+, tvOS 13.4.8+, watchOS 6.2.8+, Safari 13.1.2+, iTunes 12.10.8+, iCloud for Windows 11.3+/7.20+) to remediate this vulnerability. For custom applications, ensure all URL handling uses proper shell escaping or avoids shell execution entirely.
Fix this in Safari
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9862 — 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-2020-9862 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