Private-key recovery via ECDSA timing leakage
Published May 21, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024
Timing side channel in Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 through 2021-03-29 allows physically proximate attackers to recover ECDSA keys. CryptoCell 310 signature runtime correlates with the secret ECDSA nonce bit length, enabling a lattice attack after about 12,000 timing observations. Physical possession for about half a day and repeated signatures are required; only keys used directly for ECDSA are exposed.
Summary
What happened
Timing side channel in Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 through 2021-03-29 allows physically proximate attackers to recover ECDSA keys. CryptoCell 310 signature runtime correlates with the secret ECDSA nonce bit length, enabling a lattice attack after about 12,000 timing observations. Physical possession for about half a day and repeated signatures are required; only keys used directly for ECDSA are exposed.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-29415
- Published
- May 21, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 3, 2024
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-203, T1552.004
- Attack vector
- physical
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 21, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 3, 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?
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- nRF52840 ECDSA timing key-recovery demonstrationproof of concept · demonstrated
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Reported exploitation
- Demonstrated nRF52840 timing key recoveryreported exploitation
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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