CVE-2020-9817 Privilege escalation in macOS

High 7.8 Published 9 Jun 2020 Updated 4 Aug 2024

A malicious application can gain root privileges due to a permissions issue in macOS, requiring an update to fix.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: A user has to click or open something
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2020-9817?

CVE-2020-9817 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Mac Os X, published on 9 Jun 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

A permissions issue existed. This issue was addressed with improved permission validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.5. A malicious application may be able to gain root privileges.

Weakness: CWE-276

Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-9817?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Apple Mac Os X.

How do I fix CVE-2020-9817?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-9817 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Is CVE-2020-9817 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-9817 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Apple Mac Os X vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-g587-fq79-crm3.