Is CVE-2025-59698 exploited in the wild?

No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2025-59698 being exploited in the wild.

How severe is CVE-2025-59698?

Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.8, published 2 December 2025.

Which products and versions are affected?

Entrust nShield Connect XC through 13.6.11 or 13.7; Entrust Nshield 5c through 13.6.11 or 13.7; Entrust Nshield Hsmi through 13.6.11 or 13.7.

Is there a fix for CVE-2025-59698?

A patch was published on 2025-12-02: Patches released: 13.6.12 (LTS) and 13.9.0 (STS) Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

How is CVE-2025-59698 attacked?

It is attacked with physical access, in a network appliance.

Am I affected by CVE-2025-59698?

Check whether you run Entrust nShield Connect XC, Entrust Nshield 5c or Entrust Nshield Hsmi at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

CVE-2025-59698: Entrust nShield HSM insecure legacy bootloader access

CVE-2025-59698 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.8 · Published 2025-12-02

Entrust nShield hardware security modules (HSMs) are physical appliances used to protect cryptographic keys and perform sensitive security operations. A physically proximate attacker can exploit an end-of-life legacy bootloader to gain unauthorized access to the device, potentially compromising all keys and operations protected by the HSM.

Technologies: Entrust nShield Connect XC, Entrust Nshield 5c, Entrust Nshield Hsmi. Vendors: Entrust.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2025-59698 exploited in the wild?: No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2025-59698 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2025-59698?: Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.8, published 2 December 2025.
Which products and versions are affected?: Entrust nShield Connect XC through 13.6.11 or 13.7; Entrust Nshield 5c through 13.6.11 or 13.7; Entrust Nshield Hsmi through 13.6.11 or 13.7.
Is there a fix for CVE-2025-59698?: A patch was published on 2025-12-02: Patches released: 13.6.12 (LTS) and 13.9.0 (STS) Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2025-59698 attacked?: It is attacked with physical access, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2025-59698?: Check whether you run Entrust nShield Connect XC, Entrust Nshield 5c or Entrust Nshield Hsmi at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

The vulnerability stems from an insecure implementation of the legacy bootloader (EOL) in nShield HSM devices, classified as incorrect security token generation (CWE-1270). An attacker with physical proximity to the device can exploit this bootloader to gain access, potentially leading to full device compromise. The attack vector is physical only, requiring no authentication or user interaction. Patches are available in nShield 13.6.12 (LTS) and 13.9.0 (STS). The broader security research indicates related issues including unprotected JTAG access, unverified firmware upgrades, and inadequate tamper detection mechanisms in the Cosmo board.

Affected products

Entrust nShield Connect XC through 13.6.11 or 13.7
Entrust nShield 5c through 13.6.11 or 13.7
Entrust nShield HSMi through 13.6.11 or 13.7

Timeline

2025-12-02: disclosed: CVE-2025-59698 published in NVD
2025-12-02: patched: Patches released: 13.6.12 (LTS) and 13.9.0 (STS)

References

https://github.com/google/security-research/security/advisories/GHSA-6q4x-m86j-gfwj

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