Quick answer
Direct answer
Risk scores
| CVSS metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| Attack vector (AV:L) | Local access needed |
| Attack complexity (AC:H) | High complexity |
| Privileges required (PR:L) | Low privileges required |
| User interaction (UI:N) | No user interaction |
| Scope (S:U) | Scope unchanged |
| Confidentiality (C:H) | High confidentiality impact |
| Integrity (I:H) | High integrity impact |
| Availability (A:H) | High availability impact |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
About Apple Ipados
CVE-2026-20617 affects Apple Ipados, a product from Apple. Before acting, confirm where Apple Ipados runs in your estate, who owns it and whether it is reachable from the internet, because exposure decides real risk more than the score alone.
What the flaw is
In plain terms: A race condition was addressed with improved state handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, macOS Sequoia 15.7.4, macOS Sonoma 14.8.4, macOS Tahoe 26.3, tvOS 26.3, visionOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3. An app may be able to gain root privileges.
The weakness class is Race Condition. Two operations collide in timing, breaking a security assumption.
Based on its CVSS vector, the flaw needs local or adjacent access, needs some level of access, and needs no user interaction. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.
Affected versions and timeline
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Apple Ipados |
| Affected versions | Ipados before 26.3; Iphone Os before 26.3; Macos from 14.0 before 14.8.4; Macos from 26.0 before 26.3; Tvos before 26.3; Visionos before 26.3; Watchos before 26.3 |
| Published | Feb 11, 2026 |
| Last modified | Aug 21, 2026 |
| Added to CISA KEV | Not listed |
| Assigning CNA | product-security@apple.com |
How to detect it
- Inventory every instance of Apple Ipados and record the running version against the affected range above.
- Check external attack surface scans for internet facing instances of the component.
- Review logs on affected systems for unusual requests, errors or new processes around the vulnerable function.
- Confirm with an authenticated vulnerability scan once your scanner has a check for this CVE.
How to fix it
- Apply the fixed version of Apple Ipados named in the vendor advisory.
- If patching must wait, restrict network access to the affected service and put it behind authentication or a web application firewall rule.
- Rescan after the change to prove the exposure is gone, then close the ticket.
CTEM action plan
| CTEM stage | What to do for this CVE |
|---|---|
| Scope | Add every business service that depends on Apple Ipados to the current CTEM cycle. |
| Discover | Find all instances, including shadow and cloud deployments, and record versions and exposure. |
| Prioritize | Rank using EPSS and CVSS together with asset exposure and business impact. |
| Validate | Confirm the flaw is reachable and exploitable in your environment and that compensating controls work. |
| Mobilize | Assign the fix to the asset owner with a due date matched to the priority, then verify closure. |
CWE References
- CWE-362: Race Condition More CVEs with this weakness
- CWE-362: Race Condition More CVEs with this weakness
Technical References
Frequently asked questions
Related CVEs
This issue was addressed with improved handling of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27. An app may be able to break out of its sandbox.
The issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. An app may be able to break out of its sandbox.
The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.
An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. Processing a maliciously crafted disk image may lead to unexpected app termination.
An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. Connecting to a malicious NFS server may cause unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory.
An integer overflow was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoia 15.8, macOS Tahoe 26.7. Processing a maliciously crafted document may lead to an out-of-bounds read.
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