CVE-2020-9889: Apple macOS AudioToolboxCore Wave Header Parsing Sign Extension Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Published Jul 15, 2020
·
Updated

An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6, macOS Catalina 10.15.6, tvOS 13.4.8, watchOS 6.2.8. Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to arbitrary code execution.

Other sources

Audio. An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking.

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Apple macOS. Interaction with the AudioToolbox library is required to exploit this vulnerability but attack vectors may vary depending on the implementation. The specific flaw exists within the AudioToolbox framework. Crafted data in a WAV file can trigger a sign extension before allocating a buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process.

Credit

Yu Zhou@@yuzhou6666(Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative), Anonymous(Trend Micro), JunDong Xie, XingWei Lin(Ant), Xingwei Lin(Ant)

Affected Software

38 affected componentsFixes available
Apple tvOS<13.4.8
13.4.8
Apple macOS Catalina<10.15.6
10.15.6
Apple Mojave
Apple High Sierra
Apple WatchOS<6.2.8
6.2.8
Apple macOS
Apple iOS<13.6
13.6
Apple iPadOS<13.6
13.6
Apple iPadOS<13.6
Apple iPhone OS<13.6
Apple iOS and macOS>=10.13<10.13.6
Apple iOS and macOS>=10.14<10.14.6
Apple iOS and macOS>=10.15<10.15.6
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2018-002
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2018-003
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2019-001
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2019-002
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2019-003
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2019-004
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2019-005
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2019-006
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2019-007
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2020-001
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2020-002
Apple iOS and macOS=10.13.6-security_update_2020-003
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2019-001
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2019-002
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2019-004
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2019-005
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2019-006
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2019-007
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2020-001
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2020-002
Apple iOS and macOS=10.14.6-security_update_2020-003
Apple tvOS<13.4.8
Apple WatchOS<6.2.8

Event History

Oct 16, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:38 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:38 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Mar 24, 2025
Advisory Published
via ZDI·11:02 PM

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2020-9889?

CVE-2020-9889 is a vulnerability related to an out-of-bounds write issue in the Audio component of Apple software.

2

How does CVE-2020-9889 affect macOS Catalina?

CVE-2020-9889 affects macOS Catalina versions up to, but not including, 10.15.6.

3

How does CVE-2020-9889 affect Apple Mojave?

CVE-2020-9889 affects Apple Mojave.

4

How does CVE-2020-9889 affect Apple High Sierra?

CVE-2020-9889 affects Apple High Sierra.

5

How does CVE-2020-9889 affect Apple iOS?

CVE-2020-9889 affects Apple iOS versions up to, but not including, 13.6.

6

How does CVE-2020-9889 affect Apple iPadOS?

CVE-2020-9889 affects Apple iPadOS versions up to, but not including, 13.6.

7

How does CVE-2020-9889 affect Apple watchOS?

CVE-2020-9889 affects Apple watchOS versions up to, but not including, 6.2.8.

8

How does CVE-2020-9889 affect Apple tvOS?

CVE-2020-9889 affects Apple tvOS versions up to, but not including, 13.4.8.

9

How can I fix CVE-2020-9889?

To fix CVE-2020-9889, update your Apple software to the corresponding or later versions mentioned in the Apple security advisory.

10

Where can I find more information about CVE-2020-9889?

You can find more information about CVE-2020-9889 in the Apple security advisories: [link1](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211289), [link2](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211288), [link3](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211291).

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