CVE-2020-3848Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vector

Zero-click code execution via SDP heap overflow

Published Apr 1, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Heap overflow in CoreBluetooth in Apple macOS before Catalina 10.15.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code without user interaction. SDPClientConnection handleServiceSearchAttributeResponse:length:transactionID: copies an attacker-controlled packet length of up to 255 bytes into a fixed 32-byte heap buffer. Bluetooth pairing normally gates the trigger, but the published chain reaches it without pairing and combines a separate memory leak with heap shaping to redirect execution.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability2.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Heap overflow in CoreBluetooth in Apple macOS before Catalina 10.15.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code without user interaction. SDPClientConnection handleServiceSearchAttributeResponse:length:transactionID: copies an attacker-controlled packet length of up to 255 bytes into a fixed 32-byte heap buffer. Bluetooth pairing normally gates the trigger, but the published chain reaches it without pairing and combines a separate memory leak with heap shaping to redirect execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-3848
Published
Apr 1, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
macOS
Classifications
CWE-20, CWE-787, T1203
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 1, 2020CVE 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <macOS Catalina 10.15.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <macOS Catalina 10.15.3

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

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

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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