CVE-2026-20700: Apple Multiple Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (Pentest Lab Guide)

CVE-2026-20700: Technical Deep-Dive (Auto Refreshed)

Generated on 2026-03-21T13:39:24.820Z. This file is automatically regenerated every 30 minutes by the CVE AI enrichment job using web sources (NVD, MITRE, CISA KEV, GitHub).

Executive Technical Summary

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, macOS Tahoe 26.3, visionOS 26.3, iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 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.

Context preserved from previous revision: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in watchOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, macOS Tahoe 26.3, visionOS 26.3, iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 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. 1. Use only isolated environments and assets you own or are explicitly authorized to test.

Technical Details

CVE: CVE-2026-20700
KEV date added: 2026-02-12
KEV due date: 2026-03-05
NVD published: 2026-02-11
NVD modified: 2026-02-13
MITRE modified: 2026-02-26
CVSS base score: 7.8
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS exploitability score: 1.8
CVSS impact score: 5.9
Attack vector: Local
Attack complexity: Low
Privileges required: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality impact: High
Integrity impact: High
Availability impact: High

Versions and Products Impacted

apple / ipados (versions: < 26.3)
apple / iphone os (versions: < 26.3)
apple / macos (versions: < 26.3)
apple / tvos (versions: < 26.3)
apple / visionos (versions: < 26.3)
apple / watchos (versions: < 26.3)
Apple / macOS (versions: unspecified)
Apple / watchOS (versions: unspecified)
Apple / visionOS (versions: unspecified)
Apple / iOS and iPadOS (versions: unspecified)
Apple / tvOS (versions: unspecified)

Weakness Classification

CWE-119
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.

Repositories for Lab Validation (Public Examples)

DarkFunct/TK-CVE-Repo | stars: 43 | updated: 2026-03-21 | https://github.com/DarkFunct/TK-CVE-Repo
Notes: TK-CVE-Repo

People and Organizations Mentioned

apple
Multiple Products
DarkFunct

Practical Defensive Validation (Authorized Only)

Use only isolated environments and systems you own or are explicitly authorized to test.
Snapshot infrastructure before validation and preserve baseline logs (EDR, SIEM, OS, app).
Inventory apple / ipados (versions: < 26.3) assets and confirm exact vulnerable versions with automated checks.
Patch in staged environments and validate closure with scanners + service health checks.
Map detections to MITRE ATT&CK tactics relevant to your environment and tune alert quality.

References

This content is for defensive security training and authorized validation only.