CVE-2020-3835 : What You Need to Know

A validation issue in macOS handling of symlinks allowed malicious applications to access restricted files. The issue was fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.3.

Understanding CVE-2020-3835

This CVE relates to a vulnerability in macOS that could be exploited by malicious applications to access restricted files.

What is CVE-2020-3835?

CVE-2020-3835 is a validation issue in the handling of symlinks in macOS, which could potentially allow unauthorized access to restricted files by a malicious application.

The Impact of CVE-2020-3835

The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files on affected systems, compromising data security and privacy.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-3835

This section provides technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

A validation issue existed in the handling of symlinks in macOS, allowing malicious applications to access restricted files. The issue was resolved in macOS Catalina 10.15.3.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: macOS
Vendor: Apple
Affected Versions: macOS Catalina 10.15.3 and earlier (unspecified versions)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability could be exploited by a malicious application to traverse symlinks and gain unauthorized access to restricted files on the system.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2020-3835.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update macOS to version 10.15.3 or later to patch the vulnerability.
Avoid downloading and running untrusted applications.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update the operating system and applications to the latest versions.
Implement robust security measures to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive files.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches and updates provided by Apple to address known vulnerabilities.