CVE-2020-9999
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 memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, iTunes for Windows 12.10.9. Processing a maliciously crafted text file 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 · moderate confidenceA memory corruption vulnerability in Apple software allows arbitrary code execution when processing a maliciously crafted text file. The issue stemmed from improper state management during text file parsing and was addressed with improved state handling in the affected software components.
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< 11.5.0< 12.10.9< 14.0< 14.0< 11.0.1< 14.0< 7.0CVSS 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 softwareCheck which Apple applications are installed on the system (iTunes on Windows, iCloud for Windows, or native Apple OS on Mac/iOS devices)Affected if Any of these Apple products are present and process text files
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Check macOS version on MacClick Apple menu > About This Mac to view the macOS version numberAffected if macOS version is below 11.0.1 (e.g., 10.x versions)
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Check iOS/iPadOS version on iPhone/iPadGo to Settings > General > About to view the iOS or iPadOS versionAffected if iOS or iPadOS version is below 14.0
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Check iTunes version on WindowsOpen iTunes > Help > About iTunes to view the version numberAffected if iTunes version is below 12.10.9
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Check iCloud for Windows versionOpen iCloud > click the gear icon or menu > About to view the versionAffected if iCloud version is below 11.5.0
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Verify text file processing capabilityConfirm the installed Apple software can open or parse text files as a featureAffected if The software includes text file parsing functionality and a vulnerable version is installed
A user is affected if they have any of the listed Apple products installed with versions below the specified thresholds and use the text file processing functionality.
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 data7.011.0.111.5.0
Update to macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 or later, or iTunes for Windows 12.10.9 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Avoid opening untrusted text files from unknown sources as a precautionary measure.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-9999 — 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-2020-9999 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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- 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