CVE-2026-20656 — Improper Authorization in Apple iOS and iPadOS
A logic issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in Safari 26.3, iOS 18.7.5 and iPadOS 18.7.5, macOS Tahoe 26.3. An app may be able to access a user's Safari history.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.1% (30-day exploitation probability)+0
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Apple iOS and iPadOS, Apple Ipados, Apple Iphone Os…).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (access control), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | iOS and iPadOS | < 18.7.5 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Apple | Ipados | < 18.7.5 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Iphone Os | < 18.7.5 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Macos | < 26.3 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Macos | < 26.3 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Apple | Safari | < 26.3 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Apple | Safari | < 26.3 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Low | 1.8 | 1.4 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 3.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Low | 1.8 | 1.4 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 3.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Low | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.13%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Audit administrative actions and access to resources outside each user’s normal pattern.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · apple/safari, apple/ios and ipados, apple/macos
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 3.3
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
3 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-86950 Apple Multiple Products Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability KEV 17d
- Critical CVE-2026-65400 Apple macOS Improper Authentication Vulnerability KEV Aug 6, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-43726 Use After Free in Apple Safari Jun 29, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-43732 Path Traversal in Apple Safari Jun 29, 2026
- High CVE-2026-43731 Use After Free in Apple Safari Jun 29, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-43727 Use After Free in Apple Safari Jun 29, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-20656 is "Improper Authorization in Apple iOS and iPadOS", rated Low. It affects iOS and iPadOS (Apple); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 3.3 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.13% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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