CVE-2020-9990

Name: CVE-2020-9990
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-10-22T19:15:15.963+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.24%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-9990 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. A race condition was addressed with additional validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.6. EPSS estimates a 0.24% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A race condition was addressed with additional validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.6. A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.24%

14.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-362

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Apple	Mac Os X	< 10.5.6

References

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211289Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211289Release Notes, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Oct 22, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-9990?

A race condition was addressed with additional validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.6. A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

How severe is CVE-2020-9990?

CVE-2020-9990 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.24% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-9990?

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-2020-9990?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST