HIGH
CVE-2020-12789
CWE-798Published: September 14, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
7.5
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
The Secure Monitor in Microchip Atmel ATSAMA5 products use a hardcoded key to encrypt and authenticate secure applets.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-12789 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), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Affected Vendors & Products
microchip152 product(s)
atsama5d21c-cu firmwareatsama5d21c-cuatsama5d21c-cur firmwareatsama5d21c-curatsama5d22c-cn firmwareatsama5d22c-cnatsama5d22c-cnr firmwareatsama5d22c-cnratsama5d22c-cu firmwareatsama5d22c-cuatsama5d22c-cur firmwareatsama5d22c-cur+140
Source: NVD CPE · 152 total CPE entries
Exploit & PoC Resources
NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
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GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
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PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
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Official Patches & Advisories
All References (2)
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Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2020-12789
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-798
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedSep 14, 2020
Related CVEs (CWE-798)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-12789 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.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.