CVE-2020-10369 – CVE-2020-10369 is a side-channel vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2020-10369?

CVE-2020-10369 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). CVE-2020-10369 is a side-channel vulnerability in certain Cypress/Broadcom wireless chips that allows attackers to infer memory content via a 'Spectra' attack when specific firmware is missing. This affects devices using vulnerable wireless combo chips without the January 2021 firmware update. The vulnerability enables information disclosure about nearby wireless communications.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2020-10369 is a side-channel vulnerability in certain Cypress/Broadcom wireless chips that allows attackers to infer memory content via a 'Spectra' attack when specific firmware is missing. This affects devices using vulnerable wireless combo chips without the January 2021 firmware update. The vulnerability enables information disclosure about nearby wireless communications.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Cypress Wireless Combo chips
Broadcom Wireless Combo chips

Versions: All versions before January 2021 firmware update

Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, Android, iOS, macOS - any OS using affected wireless chips

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects devices using specific wireless combo chips without the January 2021 firmware patch. The vulnerability is in the chip firmware, not the operating system.

⚠️ Manual Verification Required

This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.

Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).

🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.

Recommended Actions:

Review the CVE details at NVD
Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers could extract sensitive information from wireless communications, potentially including authentication credentials, session tokens, or other confidential data transmitted over affected wireless interfaces.

🟠

Likely Case

Information leakage about wireless network traffic patterns and potentially some data content in proximity attacks, requiring physical proximity to target devices.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper firmware updates and physical security controls limiting attacker proximity to vulnerable devices.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires physical proximity to affected wireless interfaces, not remotely exploitable over internet.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal attackers with physical access to vulnerable wireless devices could potentially exploit this vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires physical proximity to target device and specialized equipment/knowledge for side-channel attacks. The 'Spectra' attack technique has been demonstrated by researchers.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: January 2021 firmware update

Vendor Advisory: https://www.informatik.tu-darmstadt.de/fb20/aktuelles_fb20/fb20_neuigkeiten/neuigkeiten_fb20_details_203136.de.jsp

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Check device manufacturer for firmware updates. 2. Apply January 2021 or later firmware updates for affected wireless chips. 3. Reboot device after firmware update. 4. Verify firmware version is updated.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable wireless interfaces

linux

Temporarily disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on affected devices if not required

sudo rfkill block bluetooth
sudo rfkill block wifi

Physical security controls

all

Implement physical security measures to limit proximity of potential attackers to vulnerable devices

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict physical security controls to limit attacker proximity to vulnerable devices
Disable wireless interfaces when not in use and use wired connections where possible

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check wireless chip firmware version and compare against January 2021 update. On Linux: check dmesg or firmware version files for wireless drivers.

Check Version:

dmesg | grep -i 'firmware\|cypress\|broadcom' or manufacturer-specific firmware checking utilities

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify firmware version shows January 2021 or later update applied. Check with: dmesg | grep -i firmware or check manufacturer-specific firmware version tools.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual wireless driver errors
Firmware version mismatch warnings
Unexpected wireless interface resets

Network Indicators:

Unusual wireless signal patterns consistent with side-channel attacks
Abnormal wireless traffic patterns near sensitive devices

SIEM Query:

Wireless driver logs showing firmware errors OR wireless interface anomalies near sensitive systems

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2020-10369

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

CWE: CWE-203

Published: November 10, 2024

Last Updated: November 26, 2024

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2020-10369, you might also want to check these: