RSA BSAFE Crypto-C Micro Edition, versions prior to 4.0.5.3 (in 4.0.x) and versions prior to 4.1.3.3 (in 4.1.x), and RSA Micro Edition Suite, versions prior to 4.0.11 (in 4.0.x) versions prior to 4.1.6.1 (in 4.1.x) and versions prior to 4.3.3 (4.2.x and 4.3.x) are vulnerable to an Information Exposure Through Timing Discrepancy. A malicious remote user could potentially exploit this vulnerability to extract information leaving data at risk of exposure.
Covert timing channels convey information by modulating some aspect of system behavior over time, so that the program receiving the information can observe system behavior and infer protected information.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bsafe_crypto-c-micro-edition | Dell | 4.0 (including) | 4.0.5.3 (excluding) |
| Bsafe_micro-edition-suite | Dell | 4.0.0 (including) | 4.0.11 (excluding) |
| Bsafe_micro-edition-suite | Dell | 4.1.0 (including) | 4.1.6.1 (excluding) |
| Bsafe_micro-edition-suite | Dell | 4.2.0 (including) | 4.3.3 (excluding) |
| Rsa_bsafe_crypto-c | Emc | 4.1 (including) | 4.1.3.3 (excluding) |
In some instances, knowing when data is transmitted between parties can provide a malicious user with privileged information. Also, externally monitoring the timing of operations can potentially reveal sensitive data. For example, a cryptographic operation can expose its internal state if the time it takes to perform the operation varies, based on the state. Covert channels are frequently classified as either storage or timing channels. Some examples of covert timing channels are the system’s paging rate, the time a certain transaction requires to execute, and the time it takes to gain access to a shared bus.