CVE-2020-3851 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Learn about CVE-2020-3851, a macOS vulnerability allowing applications to gain elevated privileges. Find out how to mitigate and prevent this issue.
A use after free issue in macOS has been addressed with improved memory management, affecting versions less than 10.15.
Understanding CVE-2020-3851
What is CVE-2020-3851?
CVE-2020-3851 is a vulnerability in macOS that allows an application to gain elevated privileges due to a use after free issue.
The Impact of CVE-2020-3851
This vulnerability could be exploited by an application to elevate its privileges on affected systems.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-3851
Vulnerability Description
The issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15.4, Security Update 2020-002 Mojave, Security Update 2020-002 High Sierra, macOS Catalina 10.15.3, Security Update 2020-001 Mojave, and Security Update 2020-001 High Sierra.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: macOS
- Vendor: Apple
- Versions Affected: Less than 10.15
Exploitation Mechanism
An application exploiting this vulnerability can potentially gain elevated privileges on the system.
Mitigation and Prevention
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply the necessary security updates provided by Apple.
- Monitor for any unusual application behavior.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update your operating system to the latest version.
- Use caution when granting elevated privileges to applications.
Patching and Updates
Ensure that your system is updated with the latest security patches from Apple.