CVE-2020-9978

Name: CVE-2020-9978
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-04-02T18:15:18.827+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 4.5/10EPSS 0.52%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-9978 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.5/10 on the CVSS scale. This issue was addressed with improved setting propagation. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, tvOS 14.0, macOS Big Sur 11.1, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 Mojave, watchOS 7.0, iOS 14.0 and iPadOS 14.0. EPSS estimates a 0.52% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

This issue was addressed with improved setting propagation. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, tvOS 14.0, macOS Big Sur 11.1, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 Mojave, watchOS 7.0, iOS 14.0 and iPadOS 14.0. An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to unexpectedly alter application state.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

4.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.52%

40.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Apple	Ipados	< 14.0
Apple	Iphone Os	< 14.0
Apple	Mac Os X	>= 10.14, < 10.14.6
Apple	Mac Os X	>= 10.15, < 10.15.7
Apple	Mac Os X	10.14.6
Apple	Mac Os X	10.15.7
Apple	Macos	>= 11.0, < 11.1.0
Apple	Watchos	< 7.0

References

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211843Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211844Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211850Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211931Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212011Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211843Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211844Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211850Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211931Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212011Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 2, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-9978?

How severe is CVE-2020-9978?

CVE-2020-9978 has a CVSS score of 4.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.52% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-9978?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-9978?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST