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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2018-20187

🗓️ 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 2 Views

Unpatched CVE-2018-20187 Botan before 2.9.0 timing sidechannel in ECC key generation leaks high bits

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
AlpineLinux
CVE-2018-20187
8 Mar 201919:00
alpinelinux
CVE
CVE-2018-20187
8 Mar 201919:00
cve
Cvelist
CVE-2018-20187
8 Mar 201919:00
cvelist
FreeBSD
botan2 -- Side channel during ECC key generation
17 Dec 201800:00
freebsd
Debian CVE
CVE-2018-20187
8 Mar 201919:00
debiancve
EUVD
EUVD-2018-12754
7 Oct 202500:30
euvd
Fedora
[SECURITY] Fedora 29 Update: botan2-2.9.0-1.fc29
20 Feb 201903:06
fedora
Tenable Nessus
Fedora 29 : botan2 (2019-e0f5a82082)
20 Feb 201900:00
nessus
Tenable Nessus
FreeBSD : botan2 -- Side channel during ECC key generation (d8e7e854-17fa-11e9-bef6-6805ca2fa271)
28 Jan 201900:00
nessus
NVD
CVE-2018-20187
8 Mar 201919:29
nvd
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(254650);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2025/08/25");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2018-20187");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2018-20187");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the
    time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key,
    as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder
    whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation,
    not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement. (CVE-2018-20187)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-20187");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2018-20187");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2018/12/19");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/08/25");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:botan");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:botan1.10");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-14.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Ubuntu Linux-14.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "14.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "botan1.10"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "botan"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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25 Aug 2025 00:00Current
6Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6
CVSS 24.3
CVSS 35.9
EPSS0.00393
2