CVE-2021-38543 (GCVE-0-2021-38543)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2021-08-11 15:26 – Updated: 2024-08-04 01:44
VLAI
Summary
TP-Link UE330 USB splitter devices through 2021-08-09, in certain specific use cases in which the device supplies power to audio-output equipment, allow remote attackers to recover speech signals from an LED on the device, via a telescope and an electro-optical sensor, aka a "Glowworm" attack. We assume that the USB splitter supplies power to some speakers. The power indicator LED of the USB splitter is connected directly to the power line, as a result, the intensity of the USB splitter's power indicator LED is correlative to its power consumption. The sound played by the connected speakers affects the USB splitter's power consumption and as a result is also correlative to the light intensity of the LED. By analyzing measurements obtained from an electro-optical sensor directed at the power indicator LED of the USB splitter, we can recover the sound played by the connected speakers.
Severity
5.9 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CWE
  • n/a
Assigner
References
URL Tags
https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack x_refsource_MISC
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2024-08-04T01:44:23.424Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "tags": [
              "x_refsource_MISC",
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "n/a",
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "n/a"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "TP-Link UE330 USB splitter devices through 2021-08-09, in certain specific use cases in which the device supplies power to audio-output equipment, allow remote attackers to recover speech signals from an LED on the device, via a telescope and an electro-optical sensor, aka a \"Glowworm\" attack. We assume that the USB splitter supplies power to some speakers. The power indicator LED of the USB splitter is connected directly to the power line, as a result, the intensity of the USB splitter\u0027s power indicator LED is correlative to its power consumption. The sound played by the connected speakers affects the USB splitter\u0027s power consumption and as a result is also correlative to the light intensity of the LED. By analyzing measurements obtained from an electro-optical sensor directed at the power indicator LED of the USB splitter, we can recover the sound played by the connected speakers."
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "description": "n/a",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "text"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2021-08-11T15:26:02.000Z",
        "orgId": "8254265b-2729-46b6-b9e3-3dfca2d5bfca",
        "shortName": "mitre"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack"
        }
      ],
      "x_legacyV4Record": {
        "CVE_data_meta": {
          "ASSIGNER": "cve@mitre.org",
          "ID": "CVE-2021-38543",
          "STATE": "PUBLIC"
        },
        "affects": {
          "vendor": {
            "vendor_data": [
              {
                "product": {
                  "product_data": [
                    {
                      "product_name": "n/a",
                      "version": {
                        "version_data": [
                          {
                            "version_value": "n/a"
                          }
                        ]
                      }
                    }
                  ]
                },
                "vendor_name": "n/a"
              }
            ]
          }
        },
        "data_format": "MITRE",
        "data_type": "CVE",
        "data_version": "4.0",
        "description": {
          "description_data": [
            {
              "lang": "eng",
              "value": "TP-Link UE330 USB splitter devices through 2021-08-09, in certain specific use cases in which the device supplies power to audio-output equipment, allow remote attackers to recover speech signals from an LED on the device, via a telescope and an electro-optical sensor, aka a \"Glowworm\" attack. We assume that the USB splitter supplies power to some speakers. The power indicator LED of the USB splitter is connected directly to the power line, as a result, the intensity of the USB splitter\u0027s power indicator LED is correlative to its power consumption. The sound played by the connected speakers affects the USB splitter\u0027s power consumption and as a result is also correlative to the light intensity of the LED. By analyzing measurements obtained from an electro-optical sensor directed at the power indicator LED of the USB splitter, we can recover the sound played by the connected speakers."
            }
          ]
        },
        "problemtype": {
          "problemtype_data": [
            {
              "description": [
                {
                  "lang": "eng",
                  "value": "n/a"
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        },
        "references": {
          "reference_data": [
            {
              "name": "https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack",
              "refsource": "MISC",
              "url": "https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack"
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "8254265b-2729-46b6-b9e3-3dfca2d5bfca",
    "assignerShortName": "mitre",
    "cveId": "CVE-2021-38543",
    "datePublished": "2021-08-11T15:26:02.000Z",
    "dateReserved": "2021-08-11T00:00:00.000Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2024-08-04T01:44:23.424Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.1",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2021-38543",
      "date": "2026-09-21",
      "epss": "0.01293",
      "percentile": "0.68542"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "configurations": [
          {
            "nodes": [
              {
                "cpeMatch": [
                  {
                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:tp-link:ue330_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "matchCriteriaId": "5AF9B484-A232-4F75-BB17-1433C4C346B4",
                    "versionEndIncluding": "2021-08-09",
                    "vulnerable": true
                  }
                ],
                "negate": false,
                "operator": "OR"
              },
              {
                "cpeMatch": [
                  {
                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:h:tp-link:ue330:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "matchCriteriaId": "0D0B23AE-60C1-404A-94D7-55FD0A340F37",
                    "vulnerable": false
                  }
                ],
                "negate": false,
                "operator": "OR"
              }
            ],
            "operator": "AND"
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "TP-Link UE330 USB splitter devices through 2021-08-09, in certain specific use cases in which the device supplies power to audio-output equipment, allow remote attackers to recover speech signals from an LED on the device, via a telescope and an electro-optical sensor, aka a \"Glowworm\" attack. We assume that the USB splitter supplies power to some speakers. The power indicator LED of the USB splitter is connected directly to the power line, as a result, the intensity of the USB splitter\u0027s power indicator LED is correlative to its power consumption. The sound played by the connected speakers affects the USB splitter\u0027s power consumption and as a result is also correlative to the light intensity of the LED. By analyzing measurements obtained from an electro-optical sensor directed at the power indicator LED of the USB splitter, we can recover the sound played by the connected speakers."
          },
          {
            "lang": "es",
            "value": "Los dispositivos splitter USB TP-Link UE330 hasta 09-08-2021, en determinados casos de uso en los que el dispositivo suministra energ\u00eda a equipos de salida de audio, permiten a atacantes remotos recuperar las se\u00f1ales de voz de un LED del dispositivo, por medio de un telescopio y un sensor electro-\u00f3ptico, tambi\u00e9n se conoce como un ataque \"Glowworm\". Suponemos que el divisor USB suministra energ\u00eda a unos altavoces. El LED indicador de potencia del divisor USB est\u00e1 conectado directamente a la l\u00ednea de alimentaci\u00f3n, por lo que la intensidad del LED indicador de potencia del divisor USB es correlativa a su consumo de energ\u00eda. El sonido reproducido por los altavoces conectados afecta al consumo de energ\u00eda del divisor USB y, en consecuencia, tambi\u00e9n es correlativo a la intensidad luminosa del LED. Al analizar las medidas obtenidas por un sensor electro-\u00f3ptico dirigido al LED indicador de potencia del splitter USB, podemos recuperar el sonido reproducido por los altavoces conectados"
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2021-38543",
        "lastModified": "2024-11-21T06:17:23.650",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV2": [
            {
              "acInsufInfo": false,
              "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
              "cvssData": {
                "accessComplexity": "MEDIUM",
                "accessVector": "NETWORK",
                "authentication": "NONE",
                "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
                "baseScore": 4.3,
                "confidentialityImpact": "PARTIAL",
                "integrityImpact": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N",
                "version": "2.0"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 8.6,
              "impactScore": 2.9,
              "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
              "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
              "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
              "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
              "type": "Primary",
              "userInteractionRequired": false
            }
          ],
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
                "baseScore": 5.9,
                "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "NONE",
                "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 2.2,
              "impactScore": 3.6,
              "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
              "type": "Primary"
            }
          ]
        },
        "published": "2021-08-11T16:15:07.210",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "cve@mitre.org",
            "tags": [
              "Exploit",
              "Third Party Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack"
          },
          {
            "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
            "tags": [
              "Exploit",
              "Third Party Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.nassiben.com/glowworm-attack"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org",
        "vulnStatus": "Modified",
        "weaknesses": [
          {
            "description": [
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "NVD-CWE-noinfo"
              }
            ],
            "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
            "type": "Primary"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "current_release_date": "2026-03-27T13:42:09+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2021-38543",
      "id": "CVE-2021-38543",
      "initial_release_date": "2021-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "1",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "CVE-2021-38543",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2021/cve-2021-38543.json",
      "version": "3"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.





Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.


Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.