CVE-2020-27951

Authentication policy violation via unauthorized code execution

Published Apr 2, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Code execution in the Security component of affected Apple iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS releases allows attackers to violate authentication policy. Apple identifies the locus only as the Security component and states that improved checks addressed the issue; the unchecked operation and input remain undisclosed. NVD assesses local access without privileges and required user interaction, while successful exploitation permits unauthorized code execution with a resulting authentication-policy violation.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability1.06%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Code execution in the Security component of affected Apple iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS releases allows attackers to violate authentication policy. Apple identifies the locus only as the Security component and states that improved checks addressed the issue; the unchecked operation and input remain undisclosed. NVD assesses local access without privileges and required user interaction, while successful exploitation permits unauthorized code execution with a resulting authentication-policy violation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-27951
Published
Apr 2, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
iOS
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 2, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <12.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · iOSversion=unspecified <12.5
Apple · iOS and iPadOSversion=unspecified <14.3
Apple · watchOSversion=unspecified <6.3; version=unspecified <7.2

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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