VulnerabilityPublished 11 Feb 2026Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2026-20649: Apple iOS and iPadOS · A user may be able to view sensitive user information

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 26.3 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 18% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 26.3

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

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade iOS and iPadOS and macOS and tvOS and watchOS to 26.3.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
AppleiOS and iPadOS	Affected <26.3	Fixed in 26.3
ApplemacOS	Affected <26.3	Fixed in 26.3
AppletvOS	Affected <26.3	Fixed in 26.3
ApplewatchOS	Affected <26.3	Fixed in 26.3

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-20649, organizations and users should immediately update all affected Apple devices to version 26.3 or later of iOS, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, tvOS, and watchOS. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict device access controls to prevent unauthorized local access, including strong authentication and screen lock policies. Monitoring and auditing of device logs should be enhanced to detect any unusual access patterns or attempts to exploit logging mechanisms. Developers and administrators should review logging configurations to ensure sensitive data is never logged in plaintext or without proper redaction. User education is important to avoid interacting with suspicious prompts or applications that could trigger the vulnerability. For high-security environments, consider additional endpoint protection solutions that monitor for anomalous local activity. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include checks for insecure logging practices to prevent similar issues.

Description

A logging issue was addressed with improved data redaction. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, macOS Tahoe 26.3, tvOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3. A user may be able to view sensitive user information.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-20649 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive user information on affected Apple devices. This can lead to privacy violations, exposure of personal or corporate data, and potential further attacks if sensitive credentials or information are leaked. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, it does not allow modification or disruption of system operations. However, the confidentiality breach can undermine user trust and compliance with data protection regulations, especially in sectors handling sensitive or regulated data such as finance, healthcare, and government. The requirement for local access and user interaction limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in environments where devices may be physically accessed or where malicious applications could trigger the vulnerability. Organizations relying heavily on Apple ecosystems for mobile productivity and communication are at risk of data leakage if devices are not updated promptly.

CWE-377Insecure Temporary File (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
Creating and using insecure temporary files can leave application and system data vulnerable to attack.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Explore for Predictable Temporary File Names (opens in a new tab)
Screen Temporary Files for Sensitive Information (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 02:55 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-377

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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