CVE-2023-44378

False proof acceptance via non-unique bit decomposition

Published Oct 9, 2023 · Updated Sep 19, 2024

Incorrect comparison in Consensys gnark before 0.9.0 allows attackers to produce valid proofs for false inequality statements. API.Cmp, API.IsLess, and full-width bits.ToBinary or API.ToBinary accept a field-overflowed a+r bit decomposition without proving it is below the modulus. A malicious prover must reach a circuit using those methods; affected circuits can accept a less-than claim when the opposite relation holds.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect comparison in Consensys gnark before 0.9.0 allows attackers to produce valid proofs for false inequality statements. API.Cmp, API.IsLess, and full-width bits.ToBinary or API.ToBinary accept a field-overflowed a+r bit decomposition without proving it is below the modulus. A malicious prover must reach a circuit using those methods; affected circuits can accept a less-than claim when the opposite relation holds.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-44378
Published
Oct 9, 2023
Updated
Sep 19, 2024
Vendor
Consensys
Product
gnark
Classifications
CWE-697, CWE-191, T1565
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 9, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 19, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 0.9.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Consensys · gnarkversion=< 0.9.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
7.1GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-697Incorrect Comparison
CWE-191Integer Underflow (Wrap or Wraparound)
T1565Data Manipulation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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