CVE-2020-12061Public exploit

Firmware manipulation via plaintext inter-chip credentials

Published May 21, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Credential exposure in Nitrokey FIDO U2F firmware 1.1 and earlier allows physically proximate attackers to recover device secrets. The microcontroller sends credentials to the secure element in plaintext, allowing an observer on the inter-chip interface to derive secrets stored by the microcontroller. Physical access to the token is required, and recovered secrets enable arbitrary modification of the microcontroller firmware.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability1.85%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Credential exposure in Nitrokey FIDO U2F firmware 1.1 and earlier allows physically proximate attackers to recover device secrets. The microcontroller sends credentials to the secure element in plaintext, allowing an observer on the inter-chip interface to derive secrets stored by the microcontroller. Physical access to the token is required, and recovered secrets enable arbitrary modification of the microcontroller firmware.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-12061
Published
May 21, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-522
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 21, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-522Insufficiently Protected Credentials

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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