VulnerabilityPublished 25 Mar 2026Updated 2 Apr 2026

CVE-2026-20692: Apple iOS and iPadOS · Hide IP Address" and "Block All Remote Content" may not apply to all mail content

Affects Apple iOS and iPadOSSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.3 Medium : upgrade to 26.4 when convenient.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.3Medium

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

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 38% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 26.4, 15.7.5, 14.8.5

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
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: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
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: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on 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 25 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 30 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.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), 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 to 26.4; macOS to 26.4, 15.7.5 or 14.8.5.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
AppleiOS and iPadOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4
ApplemacOS	Affected <26.4	Fixed in 26.4
ApplemacOS	Affected <15.7.5	Fixed in 15.7.5
ApplemacOS	Affected <14.8.5	Fixed in 14.8.5

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-20692, organizations and users should promptly update affected Apple devices to iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and the corresponding macOS versions (Sequoia 15.7.5, Sonoma 14.8.5, Tahoe 26.4) where the issue is resolved. Administrators should enforce update policies to ensure all devices are patched quickly. Additionally, users can temporarily disable automatic loading of remote content in mail settings and use third-party email clients with stricter content blocking until updates are applied. Network-level protections such as blocking known tracking domains or using DNS filtering can reduce exposure to remote content loading. Monitoring email traffic for unusual remote content requests and educating users about privacy settings can further reduce risk. Organizations should review their privacy policies and consider additional endpoint protections to detect and prevent tracking attempts. Regular audits of mail client configurations and user settings will help maintain privacy controls. Finally, Apple device management solutions should be leveraged to enforce compliance with updated security configurations.

Description

A privacy issue was addressed with improved handling of user preferences. 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. "Hide IP Address" and "Block All Remote Content" may not apply to all mail content.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-20692 is the potential exposure of user IP addresses and the unintended loading of remote content in emails despite user-configured privacy settings. This can lead to privacy violations, as attackers or email senders can track user behavior, location, and device information without consent. For organizations, especially those handling sensitive or confidential communications via Apple devices, this vulnerability could facilitate targeted phishing, surveillance, or profiling attacks. Although it does not directly compromise system integrity or availability, the leakage of IP addresses and remote content loading undermines user trust and privacy compliance efforts. The lack of required privileges or user interaction makes exploitation easier, increasing the risk of widespread privacy breaches. Organizations in sectors such as government, finance, healthcare, and journalism, where confidentiality is paramount, may face increased risks of targeted tracking or espionage. The medium severity rating suggests moderate risk but warrants timely patching to prevent privacy erosion.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Apr 2026, 03:03 UTC

Technical details

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