GHSA-79xg-q4qm-7v9w
CWA-2025-006: wasmd's improper error handling may lead to IBC channel opening despite error
Blast Radius
github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd🐹github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd🐹github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd🐹github.com/CosmWasm/wasmdReal-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
CWA-2025-006: Improper error handling may lead to IBC channel opening despite error
Severity
High (Considerable + Likely)1
Affected versions:
- wasmd 0.60.0
- wasmd >= 0.51.0 < 0.55.1
Patched versions:
- wasmd 0.60.1, 0.55.1, 0.54.1, 0.53.3
Description of the bug
A contract erroring during IBC channel opening does not prevent the channel from opening.
Applying the patch
The patch will be shipped in a wasmd release. You will also have to update libwasmvm if you build statically.
If you already use the latest / close to latest wasmd, you can update more or less as follows:
- Check the current wasmd version:
go list -m github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd - Bump the
github.com/CosmWasm/wasmddependency in your go.mod to 0.60.1 (Cosmos SDK 0.53 compatible), 0.55.1 (Cosmos SDK 0.50 compatible), 0.54.1 or 0.53.3;go mod tidy; commit. - If you use the static libraries
libwasmvm_muslc.aarch64.a/libwasmvm_muslc.x86_64.a, make sure that you use the same version as your wasmvm version. - Check the updated wasmd version:
go list -m github.com/CosmWasm/wasmdand ensure you see 0.60.1, 0.55.1, 0.54.1 or 0.53.3. - Follow your regular practices to deploy chain upgrades.
The patch is consensus breaking.
Acknowledgement
This problem was discovered during an audit of the CosmWasm stack performed by Sherlock and funded by ICF/ICL in Q1 2025. Thank you for that work!
If you believe you have found a bug in the Interchain Stack or would like to contribute to the program by reporting a bug, please see https://hackerone.com/cosmos.
Timeline
- 2025-03-03: Auditor informs Confio about this issue.
- 2025-04-10: Confio developed the patch internally.
- 2025-06-05: Upcoming patch is announced.
- 2025-06-10: Patch is released.
Footnotes
-
following Amulet's Severity Classification Framework ACMv1.2: https://github.com/interchainio/security/blob/0295254e8645301ccb606d46108a45cede0a73e0/resources/CLASSIFICATION_MATRIX.md ↩
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd | ≥ 0.60.0&&< 0.60.1 | 0.60.1 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd | ≥ 0.55.0&&< 0.55.1 | 0.55.1 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd | ≥ 0.54.0&&< 0.54.1 | 0.54.1 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd | ≥ 0.51.0&&< 0.53.3 | 0.53.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd. 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 github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd to 0.60.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-79xg-q4qm-7v9w 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 GHSA-79xg-q4qm-7v9w 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 GHSA-79xg-q4qm-7v9w. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-79xg-q4qm-7v9w in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-79xg-q4qm-7v9w across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.