CVE-2020-9984
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 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 read vulnerability in multiple Apple products (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iTunes, iCloud for Windows) allows arbitrary code execution when processing a maliciously crafted image. The vulnerability was addressed through improved input validation during image processing.
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>= 11.0, < 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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Identify installed Apple productDetermine which Apple software is installed: iOS (iPhone), iPadOS (iPad), macOS, tvOS (Apple TV), watchOS (Apple Watch), iTunes (Windows), or iCloud for WindowsAffected if Any of these products are installed on the system or device
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Check iOS/iPadOS versionOn iOS/iPadOS device: Settings > General > About > Version. Compare the version number against affected ranges: iOS < 13.6, iPadOS < 13.6Affected if Version is less than 13.6 on iOS or iPadOS
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Check macOS versionRun 'sw_vers -ProductVersion' in Terminal or check System Preferences > About. Compare against affected range: macOS < 10.15.6Affected if Version is less than 10.15.6 (Catalina)
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Check tvOS versionOn Apple TV: Settings > General > About > Version. Compare against affected range: tvOS < 13.4.8Affected if Version is less than 13.4.8
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Check watchOS versionOn Apple Watch: Settings > General > About > Version. Compare against affected range: watchOS < 6.2.8Affected if Version is less than 6.2.8
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Check iTunes or iCloud for Windows versioniTunes: Help > About iTunes. iCloud for Windows: Help > About iCloud. Compare against affected ranges: iTunes < 12.10.8, iCloud for Windows < 7.20 or >= 11.0 and < 11.3Affected if iTunes version is less than 12.10.8, or iCloud for Windows is less than 7.20, or between 11.0 and 11.3
If any Apple product listed above is installed and its version falls within the affected ranges, the environment is vulnerable when processing untrusted image files.
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 patches: iOS 13.6/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 11.3/7.20. Avoid opening untrusted images from unknown sources.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9984 — 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-2020-9984 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