HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-12061
CRITICAL

CVE-2020-12061

CWE-522Published: May 21, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An issue was discovered in Nitrokey FIDO U2F firmware through 1.1. Communication between the microcontroller and the secure element transmits credentials in plain. This allows an adversary to eavesdrop the communication and derive the secrets stored in the microcontroller. As a result, the attacker is able to arbitrarily manipulate the firmware of the microcontroller.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-12061 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

nitrokey2 product(s)
fido u2f firmwarefido u2f
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/commits/master
PATCHhttps://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/commits/master
ADVISORYhttps://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/523.html
ADVISORYhttps://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640.pdf
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/releases
ADVISORYhttps://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/523.html
ADVISORYhttps://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640.pdf
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/releases

All References (8)

→
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/523.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
https://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640.pdfExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/commits/masterPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/releasesThird Party Advisory
→
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/523.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
https://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640.pdfExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/commits/masterPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-fido-u2f-firmware/releasesThird Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-12061
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-522
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedMay 21, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-522)

CVE-2026-29128
10.0
CVE-2024-12799
10.0
CVE-2026-56843
9.9
CVE-2019-1384
9.9
CVE-2021-36783
9.9
CVE-2025-0867
9.9

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2020-12061 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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