CVE-2020-3917

Unauthorized SSH client use via missing entitlement

Published Apr 1, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Authorization control failure in Apple ActionKit before iOS/tvOS 13.4 and watchOS 6.2 allows local users to invoke a private SSH client through an application. ActionKit did not require a dedicated entitlement before making the private-framework SSH client available to applications. Execution of a low-privileged local application is required; Apple has not disclosed the client's permitted destinations or operations, so the integrity impact cannot be bounded more narrowly.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.31%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authorization control failure in Apple ActionKit before iOS/tvOS 13.4 and watchOS 6.2 allows local users to invoke a private SSH client through an application. ActionKit did not require a dedicated entitlement before making the private-framework SSH client available to applications. Execution of a low-privileged local application is required; Apple has not disclosed the client's permitted destinations or operations, so the integrity impact cannot be bounded more narrowly.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-3917
Published
Apr 1, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
iOS
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

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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 <iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Apple · iOSversion=unspecified <iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4
Apple · tvOSversion=unspecified <tvOS 13.4
Apple · watchOSversion=unspecified <watchOS 6.2

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
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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