CVE-2026-20700
Apple Multiple Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Apple Multiple Products
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.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 12 February 2026. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 5 March 2026.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 1.7%, which is higher than 76.7% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2026-20700 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2026-20700.
What does CVE-2026-20700 affect?
CVE-2026-20700 affects Apple Multiple Products. 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.
How severe is CVE-2026-20700?
CVE-2026-20700 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.7%, higher than 76.7% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 5 March 2026.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2026-20700?
Apply the vendor patch for Apple Multiple Products as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.