CVE-2020-9874
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 write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.6, tvOS 13.4.8, watchOS 6.2.8, iTunes 12.10.8 for Windows, iCloud for Windows 11.3, iCloud for Windows 7.20. Processing a maliciously crafted image 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 · high confidenceAn out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Apple’s image processing frameworks allows arbitrary code execution when parsing a maliciously crafted image file. The flaw, present in multiple Apple operating systems and applications (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iTunes, iCloud), stems from insufficient bounds checking during image decoding, enabling memory corruption that can be leveraged for 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< 7.20>= 10.0, < 11.3< 12.10.8< 13.6< 13.6< 10.15.6< 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 macOS versionGo to Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in TerminalAffected if Version is earlier than 10.15.6 (macOS Catalina) or below the latest security update for your macOS version
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Check iOS or iPadOS versionGo to Settings > General > About on the device, or connect to computer and check in iTunes/FinderAffected if Version is earlier than 13.6
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Check tvOS versionGo to Settings > General > About > Version on Apple TV, or check via Home app if paired with iOS deviceAffected if Version is earlier than 13.4.8
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Check watchOS versionOpen Watch app on iPhone, go to My Watch > General > About, or check on Apple Watch at Settings > General > AboutAffected if Version is earlier than 6.2.8
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Check iTunes versionOpen iTunes, go to Help > About iTunes, or check in Programs and Features on WindowsAffected if Version is earlier than 12.10.8
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Check iCloud for Windows versionOpen iCloud app, go to Help > About iCloud, or check in Apps & features in Windows SettingsAffected if Version is earlier than 7.20 (for 10.x branch) or earlier than 11.3 (for 11.x branch)
You are affected if any of your Apple software (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iTunes, or iCloud for Windows) is running a version lower than the fixed releases listed in the affected versions.
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 data6.2.87.2010.15.6
Apply the vendor-supplied updates: iOS 13.6/iPadOS 13.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.6, tvOS 13.4.8, watchOS 6.2.8, iTunes 12.10.8, and iCloud for Windows 11.3/7.20. Avoid opening untrusted image files from unknown sources until patches are applied.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9874 — 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-2020-9874 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