CVE-2020-13702
Information Exposure in The Rolling Proximity Identifier used in the Apple/Google Exposure Notification API beta through 2020-05-29 enables attackers to circumvent Bluetooth Smart Privacy because there is a secondary temporary UID
Executive Summary
CVE-2020-13702 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting pii-secrets. It is classified as Information Exposure. Ensure your systems and dependencies are patched immediately to mitigate exposure risks.
Precogs AI Insight
"The Apple/Google Exposure Notification API contains a privacy vulnerability. Attackers monitor Bluetooth broadcasts and exploit predictable patterns in Rolling Proximity Identifiers to track individuals over time, circumventing anti-tracking mitigations. Precogs API Security Engine comprehensively audits cryptographic token generation and rotation."
What is this vulnerability?
CVE-2020-13702 is categorized as a medium Information Exposure flaw with a CVSS base score of 4.3. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.
The Rolling Proximity Identifier used in the Apple/Google Exposure Notification API beta through 2020-05-29 enables attackers to circumvent Bluetooth Smart Privacy because there is a secondary temporary UID. An attacker with access to Beacon or IoT networks can seamlessly track individual device movement via a Bluetooth LE discovery mechanism.
This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.
Risk Assessment
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| CVSS Base Score | 4.3 (MEDIUM) |
| Vector String | CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N |
| Published | June 11, 2020 |
| Last Modified | November 21, 2024 |
| Related CWEs | CWE-200 |
Impact on Systems
✅ Credential Theft: Exposed secrets enable unauthorized access to infrastructure, cloud services, and third-party integrations.
✅ Compliance Violation: Leaking PII or credentials may violate GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOC 2 requirements.
✅ Supply Chain Risk: Compromised credentials in public repositories can propagate to downstream consumers.
How to Fix and Mitigate CVE-2020-13702
- Apply Vendor Patches: Upgrade affected components to their latest, non-vulnerable versions immediately.
- Implement Input Validation: Ensure all user-supplied data is validated, sanitized, and type-checked before processing.
- Deploy Runtime Protection: Use Precogs continuous monitoring to detect exploitation attempts in real time.
- Audit Dependencies: Review and update all third-party libraries and transitive dependencies.
Defending with Precogs AI
The Apple/Google Exposure Notification API contains a privacy vulnerability. Attackers monitor Bluetooth broadcasts and exploit predictable patterns in Rolling Proximity Identifiers to track individuals over time, circumventing anti-tracking mitigations. Precogs API Security Engine comprehensively audits cryptographic token generation and rotation.
Use Precogs to continuously scan your codebase, binaries, APIs, and infrastructure for this vulnerability class and related attack patterns. Our AI-powered detection engine combines static analysis with threat intelligence to identify exploitable weaknesses before attackers do.
Vulnerability Code Signature
Attack Data Flow
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source | Application error or debug endpoint |
| Vector | Verbose error messages or sensitive metadata returned to the client |
| Sink | HTTP response |
| Impact | Information gathering, aids in further attacks |
Vulnerable Code Pattern
# ❌ VULNERABLE: Information Exposure
@app.errorhandler(500)
def internal_error(error):
# Taint sink: returns stack trace to user
return f"Internal Server Error: {error}", 500
Secure Code Pattern
# ✅ SECURE: Generic error message
@app.errorhandler(500)
def internal_error(error):
# Log the detailed error internally
app.logger.error(f"Server Error: {error}")
# Return a generic message to the user
return "An internal server error occurred.", 500
How Precogs Detects This
Precogs API Security Engine comprehensively audits all web endpoints to ensure verbose error messages and sensitive metadata are not exposed.\n