CVE-2020-6829: Medium severity firefox vulnerability
A flaw was found in nss. Using the EM side-channel, it is possible to extract the position of zero and non-zero wNAF digits while nss-certutil tool performs scalar multiplication during the ECDSA signature generation, leaking partial information about the ECDSA nonce. Given a small number of ECDSA signatures, this information can be used to steal the private key. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality.
Other sources
Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS), as used in Mozilla Firefox could allow a local authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by a side-channel attack when ECDSA signatures are generated. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to extract the position of zero and non-zero wNAF digits while nss-certutil tool performs scalar multiplication and obtain the private key.
— IBM
When performing EC scalar point multiplication, the wNAF point multiplication algorithm was used; which leaked partial information about the nonce used during signature generation. Given an electro-magnetic trace of a few signature generations, the private key could have been computed.
Affected Software
Remediation
Information
Event History
Parent advisories
This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.
Peer vulnerabilities
Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2020-6829?
CVE-2020-6829 is a vulnerability found in nss, where it is possible to extract partial information about the ECDSA nonce during EC scalar point multiplication.
Which software products are affected by CVE-2020-6829?
Mozilla Firefox (version 80), Google Android, IBM Security Guardium (versions 10.5 to 11.4) are affected by CVE-2020-6829.
What is the severity of CVE-2020-6829?
CVE-2020-6829 has a severity rating of 5.3 (Medium).
How can I fix CVE-2020-6829?
To fix CVE-2020-6829, update to Mozilla Firefox 80, Google Android, or the latest version of IBM Security Guardium.
Where can I find more information about CVE-2020-6829?
You can find more information about CVE-2020-6829 in the following references: Mozilla Bugzilla, Mozilla Security Advisories, and Red Hat CVE link.