CVE-2020-9978

Application-state alteration via faulty setting propagation

Published Apr 2, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

HomeKit setting-propagation failure in affected Apple operating systems allows attackers to alter application state. Affected releases include iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS before 14.0, watchOS before 7.0, and affected macOS releases before 11.1. Apple identifies HomeKit as the locus but has not published the faulty message path or operation; exploitation requires a privileged network position.

CVSS severity4.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.52%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

HomeKit setting-propagation failure in affected Apple operating systems allows attackers to alter application state. Affected releases include iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS before 14.0, watchOS before 7.0, and affected macOS releases before 11.1. Apple identifies HomeKit as the locus but has not published the faulty message path or operation; exploitation requires a privileged network position.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-9978
Published
Apr 2, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Apple
Product
iOS and iPadOS
Classifications
T1565.002
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
admin

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 <14.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Apple · iOS and iPadOSversion=unspecified <14.0
Apple · tvOSversion=unspecified <14.0
Apple · macOSversion=unspecified <11.0; version=unspecified <11.1
Apple · watchOSversion=unspecified <7.0

Published CVSS scores

4.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
2.7NIST NVDAV:A/AC:L/Au:S/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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1565.002Transmitted Data Manipulation

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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