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CVE-2019-16910: Arm Mbed TLS before 2.19.0 and Arm Mbed Crypto before 2.0.0, when deterministic ECDSA is enabled, use an RN...

Arm Mbed TLS before 2.19.0 and Arm Mbed Crypto before 2.0.0, when deterministic ECDSA is enabled, use an RNG with insufficient entropy for blinding, which might allow an attacker to recover a private key via side-channel attacks if a victim signs the same message many times. (For Mbed TLS, the fix is also available in versions 2.7.12 and 2.16.3.)

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This flaw affects older Arm Mbed TLS and Mbed Crypto builds using deterministic ECDSA. Under narrow side-channel conditions, repeated signing of the same message could help an attacker recover a private signing key. The business concern is key compromise, not broad remote code execution.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted cryptographic key-protection issue. Prioritize internet-facing, high-value, or signing-heavy systems using affected Mbed components, especially embedded products where patch visibility is weaker. It is not documented here as actively exploited.

Technical view

Affected versions use insufficient-entropy randomness for blinding when deterministic ECDSA is enabled. If a victim signs the same message many times, side-channel observations may expose enough information to recover the ECDSA private key. Fixed versions are Mbed TLS 2.19.0, 2.7.12, 2.16.3, and Mbed Crypto 2.0.0.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to products or services linking Mbed TLS before 2.19.0 or Mbed Crypto before 2.0.0, with deterministic ECDSA enabled. Statically linked applications and firmware need special attention because package managers may not reveal embedded library copies.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. The described attack requires side-channel access and repeated signing of the same message. Evidence provided supports possible private-key recovery under those conditions, not general remote compromise.

Researcher notes

Key questions are version lineage, deterministic ECDSA usage, signing behavior, and side-channel observability. The CVE description names the core condition, but the provided affected-product metadata is sparse, so validation must come from build manifests, SBOMs, firmware analysis, or vendor package records.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade Mbed TLS to 2.19.0, 2.7.12, 2.16.3, or a later fixed vendor package.
  • Upgrade Mbed Crypto to 2.0.0 or later where used.
  • Review Fedora and Debian advisories if relying on distribution packages.
  • Inventory applications and firmware that statically bundle Mbed TLS or Mbed Crypto.
  • Check vendor guidance before applying configuration-only mitigations.

Validation and detection

  • Identify deployed Mbed TLS and Mbed Crypto versions, including statically linked copies.
  • Confirm whether deterministic ECDSA is enabled in affected builds.
  • Verify patched package versions match vendor or distribution advisory versions.
  • Review signing services for repeated signing of identical messages.
  • Assess side-channel exposure paths before prioritizing emergency key rotation.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
7

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-2019-16910 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
8Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.