How severe is CVE-2020-3898?

CVE-2020-3898 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-3898 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-3898?

CVE-2020-3898 affects Apple Mac Os X. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-3898?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2020-3898 published?

CVE-2020-3898 was published on 2020-10-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-3898

CVE-2020-3898 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Mac Os X with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (31st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Apple Mac Os X
Published: 2020-10-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.4. An application may be able to gain elevated privileges.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-3898?: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.4. An application may be able to gain elevated privileges.
How severe is CVE-2020-3898?: CVE-2020-3898 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-3898 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-3898?: CVE-2020-3898 affects Apple Mac Os X. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-3898?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-3898 published?: CVE-2020-3898 was published on 2020-10-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211100

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Apple Mac Os X

CVE-2018-4310 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue affected versions prior to iOS 12, macOS…
CVE-2019-6235 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.1.3, macOS Mojave…
CVE-2018-4229 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.5 is affected. The issue involves the "Grand…
CVE-2018-4091 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.3 is affected. The issue involves the "Sandbox"…
CVE-2015-8659 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The idle stream handling in nghttp2 before 1.6.0 allows attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors, aka a…
CVE-2015-7071 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The File Bookmark component in Apple OS X before 10.11.2 allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism for…

All CVEs affecting Apple Mac Os X →

Other CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-48316 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48281 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48277 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48055 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Streambert is a cross-platform Electron Desktop App to stream and download any video media. In versions 2.4.0 and…
CVE-2026-34910 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A malicious actor with access to the network could exploit an Improper Input Validation vulnerability found in UniFi OS…
CVE-2026-33587 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Lack of user input sanitisation in Open Notebook v1.8.3 allows the application user to execute Python code (and…

Browse all CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities →