System privilege execution via permissions logic
Published Feb 27, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024
Privilege escalation in Apple iOS before 13.3.1 allows local users to execute arbitrary code with system privileges via a malicious application. Apple identifies improved permissions logic as the fix, but does not disclose the specific component or operation that mishandles permission checks. Exploitation requires running an application on the device, after which code executes with system privileges and can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Apple iOS before 13.3.1 allows local users to execute arbitrary code with system privileges via a malicious application. Apple identifies improved permissions logic as the fix, but does not disclose the specific component or operation that mishandles permission checks. Exploitation requires running an application on the device, after which code executes with system privileges and can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-3838
- Published
- Feb 27, 2020
- Updated
- Aug 4, 2024
- Vendor
- Apple
- Product
- iOS
- Classifications
- CWE-276, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 27, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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