dbcve.org
IpadosOperating system · Apple

CVE-2026-20690

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.8.5 / 15.7.5 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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 · unedited
An out-of-bounds access issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, watchOS 26.4. Processing an audio stream in a maliciously crafted media file may terminate the process.

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 confidence

This is an out-of-bounds access vulnerability in the audio stream processing component of multiple Apple operating systems. A maliciously crafted media file can trigger the vulnerability during audio stream processing, causing the affected process to terminate unexpectedly due to insufficient bounds checking.

MitigationApply the available security updates: iOS 18.7.7/iPadOS 18.7.7, iOS 26.4/iPadOS 26.4, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, and watchOS 26.4. Prioritize updating devices that process untrusted media files.

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
IpadosOperating system
Affected:< 18.7.7>= 26.0, < 26.4
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:< 18.7.7>= 26.0, < 26.4
macOSOperating system
Affected:>= 14.0, < 14.8.5>= 15.0, < 15.7.5>= 26.0, < 26.4
TvosOperating system
Affected:< 26.4
VisionosOperating system
Affected:< 26.4
WatchosOperating system
Affected:< 26.4

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check iOS or iPadOS version
    Go to Settings > General > About on the device and note the version number, or use the command 'sw_vers' via SSH or terminal
    Affected if The version is less than 18.7.7, or greater than or equal to 26.0 but less than 26.4
  2. Check macOS version
    Click the Apple menu > About This Mac, or run 'sw_vers' in Terminal
    Affected if The version is 14.0 through 14.8.4, 15.0 through 15.7.4, or 26.0 through 26.3
  3. Check tvOS, watchOS, or visionOS version
    Open Settings > General > About on the Apple TV, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro, or access the device via Xcode or the respective Settings app
    Affected if The version is less than 26.4

You are affected if your device runs any of the listed Apple OS versions within the vulnerable ranges and processes untrusted media files using the native audio stream processing component.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 14.8.5 / 15.7.5 / 18.7.7 or later
Fixed in 14.8.515.7.518.7.7
Interim mitigation

Apply the available security updates: iOS 18.7.7/iPadOS 18.7.7, iOS 26.4/iPadOS 26.4, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, and watchOS 26.4. Prioritize updating devices that process untrusted media files.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to the fixed version for your device: iPadOS 18.7.7/26.4, iOS 18.7.7/26.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5 / Sequoia 15.7.5 / Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, or watchOS 26.4

  1. For iPadOS devices: Upgrade to iPadOS 18.7.7 or iPadOS 26.4 via Settings > General > Software Update
  2. For iPhone devices: Upgrade to iOS 18.7.7 or iOS 26.4 via Settings > General > Software Update
  3. For Mac computers: Upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, or macOS Tahoe 26.4 via System Settings > General > Software Update
  4. For Apple TV: Upgrade to tvOS 26.4 via Settings > General > System Update
  5. For Apple Watch: Upgrade to watchOS 26.4 via the Watch app on iPhone > General > Software Update
  6. For Apple Vision Pro: Upgrade to visionOS 26.4 via Settings > General > Software Update
Caveat Apple minor version updates typically have low risk but ensure backups before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ipados Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
Get the upgrade done

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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-20690 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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