#VU27046 Inadequate Encryption Strength in WindowsHello - CVE-2020-11005

Vulnerability identifier: #VU27046

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 2.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2020-11005

CWE-ID: CWE-326

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
WindowsHello
Universal components / Libraries / Libraries used by multiple products

Vendor: SeppPenner

Description

The vulnerability allows a local attacker to gain access to sensitve information on the target system.

The vulnerability exists due to weak hashing algorithm and insecure permissions. If the library is used to encrypt text and write the output to a txt file, a local attacker can use another executable to decrypt the text using the static method "NCryptDecrypt" from this same library without the need to use Windows Hello Authentication again.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

WindowsHello: before 1.0.4

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External links
https://github.com/SeppPenner/WindowsHello/issues/3
https://github.com/SeppPenner/WindowsHello/security/advisories/GHSA-wvpv-ffcv-r6cw

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.