GHSA-84c3-j8r2-mcm8
CRITICAL@nfid/embed has compromised private key due to @dfinity/auth-client producing insecure session keys
Blast Radius
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Description
Problem
User sessions in the @nfid/embed SDK with Ed25519 keys are vulnerable due to a compromised private key 535yc-uxytb-gfk7h-tny7p-vjkoe-i4krp-3qmcl-uqfgr-cpgej-yqtjq-rqe. This exposes users to potential loss of funds on ledgers and unauthorized access to canisters they control.
Solution
Using version >1.0.1 of @dfinity/auth-client and @dfinity/identity packages, or @nfid/embed >0.10.1-alpha.6 includes patched versions of the issue.
User sessions will be automatically fixed when they re-authenticate.
Why this happened
The DFINITY auth client library provides a function, Ed25519KeyIdentity.generate, for generating an Ed25519 key pair. This function includes an optional parameter to supply a 32-byte seed value, which will be utilized as the secret key. In cases where no seed value is provided, the library is expected to generate the secret key using secure randomness. However, a recent update of DFINITY libraries has compromised this assurance by employing an insecure seed for key pair generation.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @nfid/embed | ≥ 0.10.0&&< 0.10.1-alpha.6 | 0.10.1-alpha.6 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @nfid/embed. 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 @nfid/embed to 0.10.1-alpha.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-84c3-j8r2-mcm8 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-84c3-j8r2-mcm8 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-84c3-j8r2-mcm8. 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-84c3-j8r2-mcm8 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-84c3-j8r2-mcm8 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.