Patchfirst
CVE-2026-20700 KEVPublic exploit High · 7.8 EPSS 1.7%

Apple Multiple Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Apple · Multiple Products

Summary

The flaw is a memory corruption issue, classed as an improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer, affecting multiple Apple products including iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, tvOS, visionOS and watchOS, with fixes in version 26.3 of those platforms. An attacker who already has memory write capability on an affected device may be able to execute arbitrary code.

Official description · NVD

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, macOS Tahoe 26.3, tvOS 26.3, visionOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3. An attacker with memory write capability may be able to execute arbitrary code. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26. CVE-2025-14174 and CVE-2025-43529 were also issued in response to this report.

Breakdown
68.8 / 100
Exploited
Yes, in CISA KEV
Reports
0
Tactics
2/15

How an attack unfolds

Based on mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.
  1. How attackers get in

  2. What they do

First seen exploited the day it was disclosed. Public exploit code (PoC-in-GitHub) appeared 3 months after disclosure.

  1. DisclosedFirst seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidenceday 0
  2. Added to CISA KEVEU database agrees+1 day
  3. Public exploit codePoC-in-GitHub+3 mo

CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.

techniques

2 , grouped by in kill-chain order, 2 cited passages 2

ExecutionTA0002

Command and Scripting Interpreter T1059 Medium
AI mapping from the description · primary impact

Arbitrary code execution after successful exploitation

may be able to execute arbitrary code
From the official description (NVD) Original (opens in a new tab) ↗

Privilege EscalationTA0004

Exploitation for Privilege Escalation T1068 Medium
AI mapping from the description · how it is exploited

Requires existing memory write; local privilege escalation

An attacker with memory write capability may be able to execute arbitrary code
From the official description (NVD) Original (opens in a new tab) ↗

Detection

0 rules for this CVE · 126 general rules for its techniques

Rules for this CVE

0 that reference CVE-2026-20700 directly.

CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗

Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.

What security researchers reported

Not named in any threat report yet

Also mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)

Weaker evidence

Pulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.

References

6 links, grouped by NVD tag
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