CVE-2025-61588
risc0 vulnerable to arbitrary code execution in guest via memory safety failure in `sys_read`
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.
Blast Radius
risc0-zkvm-platform🦀risc0-zkos-v1compat🦀risc0-aggregation🦀risc0-zkvm🦀risc0-zkvmReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects crates.io packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
RISC Zero is a zero-knowledge verifiable general computing platform based on zk-STARKs and the RISC-V microarchitecture. In versions 2.0.2 and below of risc0-zkvm-platform, when the zkVM guest calls sys_read, the host is able to use a crafted response to write to an arbitrary memory location in the guest. This capability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code within the guest. As sys_read is the mechanism by which input is requested by the guest, all guest programs built with the affected versions are vulnerable. This critically compromises the soundness guarantees of the guest program. Other affected packages include risc0-aggregation versions below 0.9, risc0-zkos-v1compat below 2.1.0, risc0-zkvm versions between 3.0.0-rc.1 and 3.0.1. This issue has been fixed in the following versions: risc0-zkvm-platform 2.1.0, risc0-zkos-v1compat 2.1.0, risc0-aggregation 0.9, and risc0-zkvm 2.3.2 and 3.0.3.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkvm-platform | all versions | 2.1.0 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkos-v1compat | all versions | 2.1.0 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-aggregation | all versions | 0.9 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkvm | all versions | 2.3.2 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkvm | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.3 | 3.0.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for risc0-zkvm-platform. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update risc0-zkvm-platform to 2.1.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-61588 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 pinpoints whether CVE-2025-61588 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2025-61588. 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-2025-61588 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2025-61588 across crates.io dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.