October 17, 2017 By Mark Samuels 2 min read

Trusted platform module (TPM) chipsets from German semiconductor specialist Infineon have been found to create weak RSA key information that increases the threat of attack. TPM is a global standard for cryptoprocessors that helps companies securely store sensitive information, including passwords, certificates and encryption keys. TPM chipsets are included in the motherboards of many hardware manufacturers.

The researchers who discovered the threat are working with those hardware manufacturers and software vendors to help mitigate the risk. Until a fix is available, IT managers should take measures to protect users and then work with C-suite colleagues to raise the profile of information security.

How the RSA Key Vulnerability Works

Infineon issued a security alert detailing the vulnerability last week. The flaw results in the generation of insecure RSA keys and makes it theoretically possible for errant outsiders to attack RSA-1024 and RSA-2048, Bleeping Computer reported. It also gives attackers the opportunity to uncover the private key used in RSA encryption.

TPMs that rely on the TCG specification 1.2 and 2.0 are impacted. Firmware updates have been issued by Infineon.

TPMs are included in a range of devices, including laptops, routers and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Affected vendors include Acer, ASUS, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, Toshiba and a series of smaller Chromebook manufacturers, according to Bleeping Computer.

The Vendor Reaction

The vulnerability was uncovered by researchers from the Centre for Research on Cryptography and Security (CRoCS), who revealed the flaw to Infineon during the first week of February and agreed to delay public disclosure for eight months. In the meantime, they worked with manufacturers to help reduce the risk.

Infineon is just one of a series of TPM vendors, so the effects of the flaw do not spread across all motherboards. Impacted manufacturers have received the firmware update and are working to mitigate the potential threat. HP, Lenovo and Fujitsu have issued advisory notes that list affected products and are also pushing out firmware updates.

On the operating system side, Microsoft and Google also issued advisory notes that detail affected products. Both firms have created workarounds to help reduce the risk of attack, but full protection will rely on firmware updates from hardware vendors.

Understanding the Risk

The researchers who revealed the vulnerability suggested that the private key used in RSA encryption can be used to impersonate users, decrypt messages and forge signatures. The impact of the flaw is related to the usage scenario, availability of the public keys and the length of keys used.

The current number of known vulnerable RSA keys is about 760,000, according to CRoCS, but two or three times more keys could be at risk. The researchers will present further details of the threat at the upcoming ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security in Dallas.

In the meantime, IT managers should move important users and data handling operations to devices unaffected by the flaw, according to Bleeping Computer. Once the firmware update is in place, security professionals should renew all TPM keys by altering passwords for TPM-enabled applications.

More from

How will the Merck settlement affect the insurance industry?

3 min read - A major shift in how cyber insurance works started with an attack on the pharmaceutical giant Merck. Or did it start somewhere else?In June 2017, the NotPetya incident hit some 40,000 Merck computers, destroying data and forcing a months-long recovery process. The attack affected thousands of multinational companies, including Mondelēz and Maersk. In total, the malware caused roughly $10 billion in damage.NotPetya malware exploited two Windows vulnerabilities: EternalBlue, a digital skeleton key leaked from the NSA, and Mimikatz, an exploit…

3 Strategies to overcome data security challenges in 2024

3 min read - There are over 17 billion internet-connected devices in the world — and experts expect that number will surge to almost 30 billion by 2030.This rapidly growing digital ecosystem makes it increasingly challenging to protect people’s privacy. Attackers only need to be right once to seize databases of personally identifiable information (PII), including payment card information, addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers.In addition to the ever-present cybersecurity threats, data security teams must consider the growing list of data compliance laws…

ICS CERT predictions for 2024: What you need to know

4 min read - As we work through the first quarter of 2024, various sectors are continuously adapting to increasingly complex cybersecurity threats. Sectors like healthcare, finance, energy and transportation are all regularly widening their digital infrastructure, resulting in larger attack surfaces and greater risk exposure.Kaspersky just released their ICS CERT Predictions for this year, outlining the key cybersecurity challenges industrial enterprises will face in the year ahead. The forecasts emphasize the persistent nature of ransomware threats, the increasing prevalence of cosmopolitical hacktivism, insights…

Topic updates

Get email updates and stay ahead of the latest threats to the security landscape, thought leadership and research.
Subscribe today