Some of the keys that were used to generate Green Pass certificates in Europe may have been stolen by cyber criminals. Giampaolo Dedola, security expert in the Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) at Kaspersky, comments.
Internet offer for a Covid Green Pass that is generated with the stolen certificate. (Image: Kaspersky).
“We have discovered news online that offer the creation of valid COVID-19 vaccination certificates - so-called Green Passes. These vaccination cards are currently often required for access to flights, restaurants or museums in Europe. As proof that the codes work, the actor created a screenshot with a valid QR code in the name of Adolf Hitler.
The test certificate was issued to Adolf Hitler (Image: Kaspersky).
Test QR codes with stolen keys work
The further analysis of two QR code examples also shows that the keys used to sign the certificates relate to organizations based in France and Poland. In addition, these codes are considered valid when tested through official apps. This is worrying as it makes it impossible to distinguish between legitimate green passes and those generated by the leaked keys.
This case reminds us of how vulnerable the infrastructure for generating COVID-19 certificates is at the moment. While it is possible to revoke certificate keys, it has far-reaching consequences for society and security. It is therefore important to improve monitoring and security measures in order to protect all infrastructure devices from external cyber attacks and to prevent and detect misuse. "
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