CVE-2025-54070 — @openzeppelin/contracts
Fix: OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts#5797CVE-2025-54070 is a Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability in @openzeppelin/contracts. A fix is available for @openzeppelin/contracts — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenZeppelin Contracts's Bytes's lastIndexOf function with position argument performs out-of-bound memory access on empty buffers
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2025-54070.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
@openzeppelin/contractsnpm@openzeppelin/contracts-upgradeablenpmDescription
OpenZeppelin Contracts is a library for secure smart contract development. Starting in version 5.2.0 and prior to version 5.4.0, the lastIndexOf(bytes,byte,uint256) function of the Bytes.sol library may access uninitialized memory when the following two conditions hold: 1) the provided buffer length is empty (i.e. buffer.length == 0) and position is not 2**256 - 1 (i.e. pos != type(uint256).max). The pos argument could be used to access arbitrary data outside of the buffer bounds. This could lead to the operation running out of gas, or returning an invalid index (outside of the empty buffer). Processing this invalid result for accessing the buffer would cause a revert under normal conditions. When triggered, the function reads memory at offset buffer + 0x20 + pos. If memory at that location (outside the buffer) matches the search pattern, the function would return an out of bound index instead of the expected type(uint256).max. This creates unexpected behavior where callers receive a valid-looking index pointing outside buffer bounds. Subsequent memory accesses that don't check bounds and use the returned index must carefully review the potential impact depending on their setup. Code relying on this function returning type(uint256).max for empty buffers or using the returned index without bounds checking could exhibit undefined behavior. Users should upgrade to version 5.4.0 to receive a patch.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @openzeppelin/contracts | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.4.0 | 5.4.0npm install @openzeppelin/contracts@5.4.0 |
| 📦npm | @openzeppelin/contracts-upgradeable | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.4.0 | 5.4.0npm install @openzeppelin/contracts-upgradeable@5.4.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @openzeppelin/contracts, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update @openzeppelin/contracts to 5.4.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-54070 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2025-54070 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2025-54070. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2025-54070 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2025-54070 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.