How severe is CVE-2020-9859?

CVE-2020-9859 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-2020-9859 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2020-9859 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-11-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-9859?

CVE-2020-9859 primarily affects Apple Ipados. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-9859?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2020-9859 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2020-9859 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-30638. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-11-03).

When was CVE-2020-9859 published?

CVE-2020-9859 was published on 2020-06-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-9859

CVE-2020-9859 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Ipados with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2021-11-03). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-415.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (53rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2021-11-03)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2020-30638
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2021-11-03)
Weakness: CWE-415
Affected product: Apple Ipados
Published: 2020-06-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A memory consumption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.5 Supplemental Update, tvOS 13.4.6, watchOS 6.2.6. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-9859?: A memory consumption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.5 Supplemental Update, tvOS 13.4.6, watchOS 6.2.6. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.
How severe is CVE-2020-9859?: CVE-2020-9859 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-2020-9859 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2020-9859 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-11-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-9859?: CVE-2020-9859 primarily affects Apple Ipados. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-9859?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2020-9859 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2020-9859 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2020-30638. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-11-03).
When was CVE-2020-9859 published?: CVE-2020-9859 was published on 2020-06-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:o:apple:ipados:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:iphone_os:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:tvos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:watchos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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