CVE-2025-25201
Improper Validation of Admin Key in PIV Smartcard
Nitrokey 3 Firmware is the the firmware of Nitrokey 3 USB keys. For release 1.8.0, and test releases with PIV enabled prior to 1.8.0, the PIV application could accept invalid keys for authentication of the admin key. This could lead to compromise of the integrity of the data stored in the application. An attacker without access to the proper administration key would be able to generate new keys and overwrite certificates. Such an attacker would not be able to read-out or extract existing private data, nor would they be able to gain access to cryptographic operations that would normally require PIN-based authentication. The issue is fixed in piv-authenticator 0.3.9, and in Nitrokey's firmware 1.8.1.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.0
Improper Validation of Admin Key in PIV Smartcard
Nitrokey 3 Firmware is the the firmware of Nitrokey 3 USB keys. For release 1.8.0, and test releases with PIV enabled prior to 1.8.0, the PIV application could accept invalid keys for authentication of the admin key. This could lead to compromise of the integrity of the data stored in the application. An attacker without access to the proper administration key would be able to generate new keys and overwrite certificates. Such an attacker would not be able to read-out or extract existing private data, nor would they be able to gain access to cryptographic operations that would normally require PIN-based authentication. The issue is fixed in piv-authenticator 0.3.9, and in Nitrokey's firmware 1.8.1.
- Record
CVE-2025-25201- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-4087
4.0
Nitrokey 3 Firmware is the the firmware of Nitrokey 3 USB keys. For release 1.8.0, and test releases with PIV enabled prior to 1.8.0, the PIV application could accept invalid keys for authentication of the admin key. This could lead to compromise of the integrity of the data stored in the application. An attacker without access to the proper administration key would be able to generate new keys and overwrite certificates. Such an attacker would not be able to read-out or extract existing private data, nor would they be able to gain access to cryptographic operations that would normally require PIN-based authentication. The issue is fixed in piv-authenticator 0.3.9, and in Nitrokey's firmware 1.8.1.
- Record
EUVD-2025-4087- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
4.0
Nitrokey 3 Firmware is the the firmware of Nitrokey 3 USB keys. For release 1.8.0, and test releases with PIV enabled prior to 1.8.0, the PIV application could accept invalid keys for authentication of the admin key. This could lead to compromise of the integrity of the data stored in the application. An attacker without access to the proper administration key would be able to generate new keys and overwrite certificates. Such an attacker would not be able to read-out or extract existing private data, nor would they be able to gain access to cryptographic operations that would normally require PIN-based authentication. The issue is fixed in piv-authenticator 0.3.9, and in Nitrokey's firmware 1.8.1.
- Record
CVE-2025-25201- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
4.0
Improper Validation of Admin Key in PIV Smartcard
Nitrokey 3 Firmware is the the firmware of Nitrokey 3 USB keys. For release 1.8.0, and test releases with PIV enabled prior to 1.8.0, the PIV application could accept invalid keys for authentication of the admin key. This could lead to compromise of the integrity of the data stored in the application. An attacker without access to the proper administration key would be able to generate new keys and overwrite certificates. Such an attacker would not be able to read-out or extract existing private data, nor would they be able to gain access to cryptographic operations that would normally require PIN-based authentication. The issue is fixed in piv-authenticator 0.3.9, and in Nitrokey's firmware 1.8.1.
- Record
CVE-2025-25201- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2025-25201 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.0) in Nitrokey Nitrokey-3-firmware, published February 12, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.14%, the 3rd percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmware/security/advisories/GHSA-jfhm-ppq8-7hgx
github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmware/releases/tag/v1.8.1
nitrokey.com/blog/2025/nitrokey-3-firmware-v181-security-update
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/25xxx/CVE-2025-25201.json
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-25201