Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This Apple macOS issue allowed a malicious application to cause unexpected memory changes in processes being traced by DTrace. Apple says it fixed the issue with improved checks. The public record does not provide severity scoring or evidence of active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for managed macOS fleets that still run Big Sur, Catalina, or Mojave without the named security updates. Business urgency is constrained by sparse public detail and no supplied evidence of active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2020-27949 affects Apple macOS. The described impact is unauthorized memory modification in processes traced by DTrace, triggered by a malicious application. Apple fixed it in macOS Big Sur 11.1, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, and Security Update 2020-007 Mojave.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Apple macOS systems missing the named Apple fixes, especially where DTrace is used to trace processes. The source bundle does not identify exact vulnerable build ranges beyond Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave fixed-update references.
Exploitation context
The source describes a malicious application as the trigger. It does not state remote exploitation, privilege requirements, exploit availability, or active exploitation. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle.
Researcher notes
The public data is limited: no CVSS, CWE, detailed root cause, exploit prerequisites, or patch diff are included. Treat this as a version-compliance and Apple-advisory validation task rather than an exploitability assessment.
Mitigation direction
- Install macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later where applicable.
- Apply Security Update 2020-001 on Catalina systems.
- Apply Security Update 2020-007 on Mojave systems.
- Check Apple guidance for unsupported or unclear macOS versions.
Validation and detection
- Inventory macOS endpoints and confirm installed OS versions or security updates.
- Identify systems where DTrace is used for tracing production processes.
- Confirm affected hosts have the listed Apple fixes or later updates.
- Review endpoint telemetry for untrusted applications on unpatched macOS hosts.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2020-27949 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212011CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.