CVE-2023-42460
_abi_decode input not validated in complex expressions in Vyper
Vyper is a Pythonic Smart Contract Language for the EVM. The _abi_decode() function does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. Uses of _abi_decode() can be constructed which allow for bounds checking to be bypassed resulting in incorrect results. This issue has not yet been fixed, but a fix is expected in release 0.3.10. Users are advised to reference pull request #3626.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.3
_abi_decode input not validated in complex expressions in Vyper
Vyper is a Pythonic Smart Contract Language for the EVM. The _abi_decode() function does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. Uses of _abi_decode() can be constructed which allow for bounds checking to be bypassed resulting in incorrect results. This issue has not yet been fixed, but a fix is expected in release 0.3.10. Users are advised to reference pull request #3626.
- Record
CVE-2023-42460- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-682
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-0268
5.3
Vyper is a Pythonic Smart Contract Language for the EVM. The _abi_decode() function does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. Uses of _abi_decode() can be constructed which allow for bounds checking to be bypassed resulting in incorrect results. This issue has not yet been fixed, but a fix is expected in release 0.3.10. Users are advised to reference pull request #3626.
- Record
EUVD-2023-0268- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-cx2q-hfxr-rj97
6.0
Vyper's `_abi_decode` input not validated in complex expressions
Impact
_abi_decode() does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. the following example gets correctly validated (bounds checked):
x: int128 = _abi_decode(slice(msg.data, 4, 32), int128)
however, the following example is not bounds checked
@external
def abi_decode(x: uint256) -> uint256:
a: uint256 = convert(_abi_decode(slice(msg.data, 4, 32), (uint8)), uint256) + 1
return a # abi_decode(256) returns: 257
the issue can be triggered by constructing an example where the output of _abi_decode is not internally passed to make_setter (an internal codegen routine) or other input validating routine.
Patches
https://github.com/vyperlang/vyper/pull/3626
Workarounds
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
References
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
- Record
GHSA-cx2q-hfxr-rj97- CVSS 4.0
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-682
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
5.3
Vyper is a Pythonic Smart Contract Language for the EVM. The _abi_decode() function does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. Uses of _abi_decode() can be constructed which allow for bounds checking to be bypassed resulting in incorrect results. This issue has not yet been fixed, but a fix is expected in release 0.3.10. Users are advised to reference pull request #3626.
- Record
CVE-2023-42460- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-682
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
5.3
_abi_decode input not validated in complex expressions in Vyper
Vyper is a Pythonic Smart Contract Language for the EVM. The _abi_decode() function does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. Uses of _abi_decode() can be constructed which allow for bounds checking to be bypassed resulting in incorrect results. This issue has not yet been fixed, but a fix is expected in release 0.3.10. Users are advised to reference pull request #3626.
- Record
CVE-2023-42460- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-682
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-cx2q-hfxr-rj97
6.0
Vyper's `_abi_decode` input not validated in complex expressions
Impact
_abi_decode() does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. the following example gets correctly validated (bounds checked):
x: int128 = _abi_decode(slice(msg.data, 4, 32), int128)
however, the following example is not bounds checked
@external
def abi_decode(x: uint256) -> uint256:
a: uint256 = convert(_abi_decode(slice(msg.data, 4, 32), (uint8)), uint256) + 1
return a # abi_decode(256) returns: 257
the issue can be triggered by constructing an example where the output of _abi_decode is not internally passed to make_setter (an internal codegen routine) or other input validating routine.
Patches
https://github.com/vyperlang/vyper/pull/3626
Workarounds
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
References
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
- Record
GHSA-cx2q-hfxr-rj97- CVSS 4.0
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-682
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2023-191
7.5
Vyper is a Pythonic Smart Contract Language for the EVM. The _abi_decode() function does not validate input when it is nested in an expression. Uses of _abi_decode() can be constructed which allow for bounds checking to be bypassed resulting in incorrect results. This issue has not yet been fixed, but a fix is expected in release 0.3.10. Users are advised to reference pull request #3626.
- Record
PYSEC-2023-191- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-42460 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Vyperlang Vyper, published September 26, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.67%, the 52nd percentile. Fixed in vyper 0.3.10.
References
github.com/vyperlang/vyper/security/advisories/GHSA-cx2q-hfxr-rj97
github.com/vyperlang/vyper/pull/3626
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-42460
github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/vyper/PYSEC-2023-191.yaml
github.com/advisories/GHSA-cx2q-hfxr-rj97
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/42xxx/CVE-2023-42460.json
github.com/vyperlang/vyper