CVE-2022-40769Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vector

Private-key recovery via 32-bit RNG seeding

Published Sep 18, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Weak random-number generation in Profanity 1.60 and earlier allows attackers to recover Ethereum vanity-address private keys. Dispatcher.cpp seeds a 64-bit Mersenne Twister with one unsigned 32-bit random_device result, limiting the initial private-key space to roughly four billion candidates. A signed transaction exposes the public key needed to reverse Profanity's deterministic expansion, letting remote attackers derive the private key and transfer wallet assets.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.49%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Weak random-number generation in Profanity 1.60 and earlier allows attackers to recover Ethereum vanity-address private keys. Dispatcher.cpp seeds a 64-bit Mersenne Twister with one unsigned 32-bit random_device result, limiting the initial private-key space to roughly four billion candidates. A signed transaction exposes the public key needed to reverse Profanity's deterministic expansion, letting remote attackers derive the private key and transfer wallet assets.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-40769
Published
Sep 18, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-338, T1552.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 18, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-338Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG)
T1552.004Unsecured Credentials: Private Keys

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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