CVE-2020-12859
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedUnnecessary fields in the OpenTrace/BlueTrace protocol in COVIDSafe through v1.0.17 allow a remote attacker to identify a device model by observing cleartext payload data. This allows re-identification of devices, especially less common phone models or those in low-density situations.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe COVIDSafe app (v1.0.17 and earlier) uses the OpenTrace/BlueTrace protocol with cleartext payloads containing unnecessary fields that expose device model information. A remote attacker observing these broadcast messages can identify specific device models, enabling re-identification of users especially in low-density areas where device diversity makes unique identification easier.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 1.0.17CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify COVIDSafe app version on deviceOn Android: Settings > Apps > COVIDSafe > Version. On iOS: Settings > COVIDSafe > Version. Alternatively, check via Google Play Store or Apple App Store app listing.Affected if Installed version is 1.0.17 or earlier (the version number displayed may include build numbers; any version <= 1.0.17 is affected)
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Confirm app is actively using BlueTrace protocolThe COVIDSafe app uses the BlueTrace/OpenTrace protocol by design for contact tracing Bluetooth beacon transmission. No configuration check needed - if the app is installed and Bluetooth contact tracing is enabled, the protocol is in use.Affected if The COVIDSafe app is installed with Bluetooth contact tracing functionality enabled
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Inspect broadcast payload for device-identifying fieldsUse a Bluetooth sniffer or network monitor to capture the BlueTrace broadcast messages emitted by the COVIDSafe app. Examine the plaintext payload for fields such as model, deviceInfo, or similar identifiers that reveal the device model.Affected if The cleartext broadcast payload contains unencrypted device model information that could be intercepted and used for device enumeration
A user is affected if the COVIDSafe app version is 1.0.17 or earlier and the app is actively transmitting Bluetooth contact tracing beacons with cleartext device model information.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataRemove unnecessary device-identifying fields from the BlueTrace protocol payload or ensure such fields are hashed/obfuscated in the cleartext transmission to prevent device model enumeration.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $11,072.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-12859 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-12859 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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