CVE-2019-12813 in U.are.U 4500
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Digital Persona U.are.U 4500 Fingerprint Reader v24. The key and salt used for obfuscating the fingerprint image exhibit cleartext when the fingerprint scanner device transfers a fingerprint image to the driver. An attacker who sniffs an encrypted fingerprint image can easily decrypt that image using the key and salt.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-12813 represents a critical security flaw in the Digital Persona U.are.U 4500 Fingerprint Reader version 24, which falls under the category of weak cryptographic practices and improper data protection mechanisms. This issue stems from the device's implementation of fingerprint image obfuscation where hardcoded cryptographic parameters are exposed during the communication process between the fingerprint scanner and its driver software. The flaw manifests when the fingerprint scanner transfers image data to the driver, revealing both the encryption key and salt values in plaintext form, effectively undermining the entire security framework designed to protect biometric data. This vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles regarding the protection of sensitive information and constitutes a significant weakness in the device's cryptographic implementation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through network sniffing operations where an attacker intercepts the encrypted fingerprint image transmission between the hardware device and the driver software. The cleartext exposure of both the key and salt values allows any network observer to perform straightforward decryption operations on the captured encrypted fingerprint images, thereby compromising the confidentiality of biometric data. This flaw represents a classic example of hardcoded cryptographic keys and insufficient entropy in cryptographic parameters, which aligns with CWE-327 (Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm) and CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials). The vulnerability enables attackers to reconstruct and potentially reuse fingerprint images, creating serious implications for authentication security and privacy protection.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risks for organizations relying on the Digital Persona U.are.U 4500 fingerprint reader for access control, authentication, and identity verification purposes. The exposure of fingerprint image data through plaintext key and salt values means that attackers can potentially perform unauthorized access attempts, create fraudulent biometric templates, or conduct identity theft operations. The impact extends beyond simple data breaches to encompass potential compromise of physical security systems, digital access controls, and overall organizational security infrastructure. This vulnerability also demonstrates poor security engineering practices related to cryptographic key management and secure communication protocols, which can lead to cascading security failures when combined with other system weaknesses.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies including network segmentation to isolate the fingerprint scanner devices from general network traffic, deployment of network monitoring tools to detect suspicious communication patterns, and implementation of additional authentication layers beyond biometric verification. The recommended approach involves upgrading to newer firmware versions that address the hardcoded cryptographic parameters, implementing network encryption protocols to protect data in transit, and establishing proper key management procedures for cryptographic operations. Security professionals should also consider the ATT&CK framework's techniques related to credential access and defense evasion, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to establish persistent access through compromised biometric credentials. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and the dangers of exposing sensitive security parameters within device firmware and communication protocols.