HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-20688
CRITICAL

CVE-2026-20688

Published: March 25, 2026· Updated: Mar 26, 2026

9.3
CVSS v3.1
EPSS:0.02%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:4.5th

Official Description

A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, macOS Sequoia 15.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.8.5, macOS Tahoe 26.4, visionOS 26.4. An app may be able to break out of its sandbox.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-20688 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.3.

The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Apple4 products
ipadosiphone osmacosvisionos
Source: NVD CPE · 4 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://support.apple.com/en-us/126792
ADVISORYhttps://support.apple.com/en-us/126794
ADVISORYhttps://support.apple.com/en-us/126795
ADVISORYhttps://support.apple.com/en-us/126796
ADVISORYhttps://support.apple.com/en-us/126799

All References (5)

→
https://support.apple.com/en-us/126792Release Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/en-us/126794Release Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/en-us/126795Release Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/en-us/126796Release Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/en-us/126799Release Notes · Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-20688
CVSS Score9.3 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
CISA KEVNo
EPSS (30d)0.02%
Affected1 vendor
PublishedMar 25, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2026-20688 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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