How severe is CVE-2023-40591?

CVE-2023-40591 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-40591 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (58th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-40591?

CVE-2023-40591 affects Ethereum Go Ethereum. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-40591?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2023-40591 published?

CVE-2023-40591 was published on 2023-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-40591

CVE-2023-40591 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ethereum Go Ethereum with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-400.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (58th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Ethereum Go Ethereum
Published: 2023-09-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

go-ethereum (geth) is a golang execution layer implementation of the Ethereum protocol. A vulnerable node, can be made to consume unbounded amounts of memory when handling specially crafted p2p messages sent from an attacker node. The fix is included in geth version `1.12.1-stable`, i.e, `1.12.2-unstable` and onwards. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-40591?: go-ethereum (geth) is a golang execution layer implementation of the Ethereum protocol. A vulnerable node, can be made to consume unbounded amounts of memory when handling specially crafted p2p messages sent from an attacker node. The fix is included in geth version `1.12.1-stable`, i.e, `1.12.2-unstable` and onwards. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
How severe is CVE-2023-40591?: CVE-2023-40591 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-40591 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (58th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-40591?: CVE-2023-40591 affects Ethereum Go Ethereum. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-40591?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-40591 published?: CVE-2023-40591 was published on 2023-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:ethereum:go_ethereum:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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