CVE-2023-40014
CVE-2023-40014 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Openzeppelin Openzeppelin Contracts with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-116.
Key facts
- Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.3)
- EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (45th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-116
- Affected product: Openzeppelin Openzeppelin Contracts
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
OpenZeppelin Contracts is a library for secure smart contract development. Starting in version 4.0.0 and prior to version 4.9.3, contracts using `ERC2771Context` along with a custom trusted forwarder may see `_msgSender` return `address(0)` in calls that originate from the forwarder with calldata shorter than 20 bytes. This combination of circumstances does not appear to be common, in particular it is not the case for `MinimalForwarder` from OpenZeppelin Contracts, or any deployed forwarder the team is aware of, given that the signer address is appended to all calls that originate from these forwarders. The problem has been patched in v4.9.3.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2023-40014?
- OpenZeppelin Contracts is a library for secure smart contract development. Starting in version 4.0.0 and prior to version 4.9.3, contracts using `ERC2771Context` along with a custom trusted forwarder may see `_msgSender` return `address(0)` in calls that originate from the forwarder with calldata shorter than 20 bytes. This combination of circumstances does not appear to be common, in particular it is not the case for `MinimalForwarder` from OpenZeppelin Contracts, or any deployed forwarder the team is aware of, given that the signer address is appended to all calls that originate from these forwarders. The problem has been patched in v4.9.3.
- How severe is CVE-2023-40014?
- CVE-2023-40014 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability none.
- Is CVE-2023-40014 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (45th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2023-40014?
- CVE-2023-40014 primarily affects Openzeppelin Openzeppelin Contracts. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-40014?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
- When was CVE-2023-40014 published?
- CVE-2023-40014 was published on 2023-08-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/commit/9445f96223041abf2bf08daa56f8da50b674cbcd
- https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/commit/e4435eed757d4309436b1e06608e97b6d6e2fdb5
- https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/pull/4481
- https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/pull/4484
- https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/releases/tag/v4.9.3
- https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/security/advisories/GHSA-g4vp-m682-qqmp
Affected products (2)
- cpe:2.3:a:openzeppelin:openzeppelin_contracts:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:openzeppelin:openzeppelin_contracts-upgradable:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
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