CVE-2025-48886
hydra-node dangerously assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions
Hydra is a layer-two scalability solution for Cardano. Prior to version 0.22.0, the process assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions. Currently, Cardano L1 is monitored for certain events which are necessary for state progression. At the moment, Hydra considers those events as finalized as soon as they are recognized by the node participants making such transactions the target of re-org attacks. The system does not currently consider the fact that failed transactions on the Cardano L1 can indeed appear in blocks because these transactions are so infrequent. This issue has been patched in version 0.22.0.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.8
hydra-node dangerously assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions
Hydra is a layer-two scalability solution for Cardano. Prior to version 0.22.0, the process assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions. Currently, Cardano L1 is monitored for certain events which are necessary for state progression. At the moment, Hydra considers those events as finalized as soon as they are recognized by the node participants making such transactions the target of re-org attacks. The system does not currently consider the fact that failed transactions on the Cardano L1 can indeed appear in blocks because these transactions are so infrequent. This issue has been patched in version 0.22.0.
- Record
CVE-2025-48886- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-18921
4.8
Hydra is a layer-two scalability solution for Cardano. Prior to version 0.22.0, the process assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions. Currently, Cardano L1 is monitored for certain events which are necessary for state progression. At the moment, Hydra considers those events as finalized as soon as they are recognized by the node participants making such transactions the target of re-org attacks. The system does not currently consider the fact that failed transactions on the Cardano L1 can indeed appear in blocks because these transactions are so infrequent. This issue has been patched in version 0.22.0.
- Record
EUVD-2025-18921- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.8
Hydra is a layer-two scalability solution for Cardano. Prior to version 0.22.0, the process assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions. Currently, Cardano L1 is monitored for certain events which are necessary for state progression. At the moment, Hydra considers those events as finalized as soon as they are recognized by the node participants making such transactions the target of re-org attacks. The system does not currently consider the fact that failed transactions on the Cardano L1 can indeed appear in blocks because these transactions are so infrequent. This issue has been patched in version 0.22.0.
- Record
CVE-2025-48886- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
4.8
hydra-node dangerously assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions
Hydra is a layer-two scalability solution for Cardano. Prior to version 0.22.0, the process assumes L1 event finality and does not consider failed transactions. Currently, Cardano L1 is monitored for certain events which are necessary for state progression. At the moment, Hydra considers those events as finalized as soon as they are recognized by the node participants making such transactions the target of re-org attacks. The system does not currently consider the fact that failed transactions on the Cardano L1 can indeed appear in blocks because these transactions are so infrequent. This issue has been patched in version 0.22.0.
- Record
CVE-2025-48886- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2025-48886 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.8) in Cardano-scaling Hydra, published June 19, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.31%, the 23rd percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/cardano-scaling/hydra/security/advisories/GHSA-qr9f-mpgf-wp25
github.com/cardano-scaling/hydra/commit/2bc6a82ef6dbfa8b94e1c11d55253713065f605e
github.com/cardano-scaling/hydra/commit/fb22d968964bf5d5b79227cc845d871147044ce7
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/48xxx/CVE-2025-48886.json
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-48886