GHSA-69v6-xc2j-r2jf is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.5) CWE-682 vulnerability in github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum. A fix is available for github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum — see the affected versions and patch details below.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-69v6-xc2j-r2jf by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,987 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/ethereum/go-ethereumReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
This is a Consensus vulnerability, which can be used to cause a chain-split where vulnerable nodes reject the canonical chain.
Geth’s pre-compiled dataCopy (at 0x00...04) contract did a shallow copy on invocation. An attacker could deploy a contract that
- writes
Xto an EVM memory regionR, - calls
0x00..04withRas an argument, - overwrites
RtoY, - and finally invokes the
RETURNDATACOPYopcode.
When this contract is invoked, a consensus-compliant node would push X on the EVM stack, whereas Geth would push Y.
Patches
No standalone patches have been made.
Workarounds
Upgrade to 1.9.17 or higher.
References
https://blog.ethereum.org/2020/11/12/geth_security_release/
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in go-ethereum
- Email us at [email protected]
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum | ≥ 1.9.7&&< 1.9.17 | 1.9.17go get github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum@v1.9.17 |
Affected Products
go ethereumethereumDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum to 1.9.17 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-69v6-xc2j-r2jf 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-69v6-xc2j-r2jf in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.