Tag Archives: CVE-2021-3011

CWE-670 – Always-Incorrect Control Flow Implementation

Read Time:49 Second

Description

The code contains a control flow path that does not reflect the algorithm that the path is intended to implement, leading to incorrect behavior any time this path is navigated.

This weakness captures cases in which a particular code segment is always incorrect with respect to the algorithm that it is implementing. For example, if a C programmer intends to include multiple statements in a single block but does not include the enclosing braces (CWE-483), then the logic is always incorrect. This issue is in contrast to most weaknesses in which the code usually behaves correctly, except when it is externally manipulated in malicious ways.

Modes of Introduction:

– Architecture and Design

 

 

Related Weaknesses

CWE-691

 

Consequences

Other: Other, Alter Execution Logic

 

Potential Mitigations

CVE References

  • CVE-2021-3011
    • virtual interrupt controller in a virtualization product allows crash of host by writing a certain invalid value to a register, which triggers a fatal error instead of returning an error code

CWE-1300 – Improper Protection of Physical Side Channels

Read Time:59 Second

Description

The device does not contain sufficient protection
mechanisms to prevent physical side channels from exposing
sensitive information due to patterns in physically observable
phenomena such as variations in power consumption,
electromagnetic emissions (EME), or acoustic emissions.

Modes of Introduction:

– Implementation

 

 

Related Weaknesses

CWE-203
CWE-203

 

Consequences

Confidentiality: Read Memory, Read Application Data

 

Potential Mitigations

Phase: Architecture and Design

Description: 

Apply blinding or masking techniques to implementations of cryptographic algorithms.

Phase: Implementation

Description: 

Add shielding or tamper-resistant protections to the device to increase the difficulty of obtaining measurements of the side-channel.

CVE References

  • CVE-2021-3011
    • electromagnetic-wave side-channel in security-related microcontrollers allows extraction of private key
  • CVE-2013-4576
    • message encryption software uses certain instruction sequences that allows RSA key extraction using a chosen-ciphertext attack and acoustic cryptanalysis
  • CVE-2020-28368
    • virtualization product allows recovery of AES keys from the guest OS using a side channel attack against a power/energy monitoring interface.
  • CVE-2019-18673
    • power consumption varies based on number of pixels being illuminated in a display, allowing reading of secrets such as the PIN by using the USB interface to measure power consumption

CWE-755 – Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions

Read Time:31 Second

Description

The software does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition.

Modes of Introduction:

– Implementation

Likelihood of Exploit: Medium

 

Related Weaknesses

CWE-703

 

Consequences

Other: Other

 

Potential Mitigations

CVE References

 

  • CVE-2021-3011
    • virtual interrupt controller in a virtualization product allows crash of host by writing a certain invalid value to a register, which triggers a fatal error instead of returning an error code
  • CVE-2008-4302
    • Chain: OS kernel does not properly handle a failure of a function call (CWE-755), leading to an unlock of a resource that was not locked (CWE-832), with resultant crash.