MEDIUM
CVE-2020-27211
CWE-203Published: May 21, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
5.7
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 devices through 2020-10-19 have improper protection against physical side channels. The flash read-out protection (APPROTECT) can be bypassed by injecting a fault during the boot phase.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-27211 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
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), with a CVSS base score of 5.7.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorPhysical
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Affected Vendors & Products
nordicsemi2 product(s)
nrf52840 firmwarenrf52840
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
ADVISORYhttps://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640
ADVISORYhttps://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640
All References (10)
→
https://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640Third Party Advisory
→
https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/pdf/in_133_v1.0.pdfThird Party Advisory
→
https://limitedresults.com/2020/06/nrf52-debug-resurrection-approtect-bypass/Third Party Advisory
→
→
https://www.aisec.fraunhofer.de/en/FirmwareProtection.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
https://eprint.iacr.org/2021/640Third Party Advisory
→
https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/pdf/in_133_v1.0.pdfThird Party Advisory
→
https://limitedresults.com/2020/06/nrf52-debug-resurrection-approtect-bypass/Third Party Advisory
→
→
https://www.aisec.fraunhofer.de/en/FirmwareProtection.htmlThird Party Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2020-27211
CVSS Score5.7 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-203
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedMay 21, 2021
Related CVEs (CWE-203)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-27211 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.