GHSA-97x9-59rv-q5pm is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) CWE-347 vulnerability in aries-cloudagent. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-97x9-59rv-q5pm is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Hyperledger Aries Cloud Agent Python result of presentation verification not checked for LDP-VC
Real-World Exposure
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Description
Impact
When verifying W3C Format Verifiable Credentials using JSON-LD with Linked Data Proofs (LDP-VCs), the result of verifying the presentation document.proof was not factored into the final verified value (true/false) on the presentation record. Below is an example result from verifying a JSON-LD Presentation where there is an error noted in the processing (mismatched challenge), but the overall result is incorrectly "verified": true:
{
"verified": true,
"presentation_result": {
"verified": false,
"document": {
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"
],
"type": [
"VerifiablePresentation"
],
"verifiableCredential": [
{
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
"https://w3id.org/citizenship/v1"
],
"type": [
"VerifiableCredential",
"PermanentResident"
],
"issuer": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd",
"issuanceDate": "2023-11-18",
"credentialSubject": {
"type": [
"PermanentResident"
],
"id": "did:key:z6MkrpbudRMUpTWSdqFcG2ytbYu2QQfgGFUf8GJpShR8Gy7C",
"givenName": "Bob",
"familyName": "Builder",
"gender": "Male",
"birthCountry": "Bahamas",
"birthDate": "1958-07-17"
},
"proof": {
"type": "Ed25519Signature2018",
"proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
"verificationMethod": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd#key-1",
"created": "2023-11-18T21:39:56.988853+00:00",
"jws": "eyJhbGciOiAiRWREU0EiLCAiYjY0IjogZmFsc2UsICJjcml0IjogWyJiNjQiXX0..eKdLMhKJkiVNzTKOEv14KyAFJnk8QX5MqXPmRE5OjQvwRNkeXk1lQRovhDhXKw154OrSqLHgfSNwBd3xfwuDCA"
}
}
],
"proof": {
"type": "Ed25519Signature2018",
"proofPurpose": "authentication",
"verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkrpbudRMUpTWSdqFcG2ytbYu2QQfgGFUf8GJpShR8Gy7C#z6MkrpbudRMUpTWSdqFcG2ytbYu2QQfgGFUf8GJpShR8Gy7C",
"created": "2023-11-18T21:39:59.188276+00:00",
"challenge": "ce0956d4-206d-4b69-a087-52bbb9ddaf1d",
"jws": "eyJhbGciOiAiRWREU0EiLCAiYjY0IjogZmFsc2UsICJjcml0IjogWyJiNjQiXX0..4ciLzT3oF-Ch9nngGVgI_fBNIo_RPPXzRuFXjMx4AdwVNM4ioeB3TNDbHsF7fPXANznkZR0bHceyvMN3-CUSAw"
}
},
"results": [
{
"verified": false,
"proof": {
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"
],
"type": "Ed25519Signature2018",
"proofPurpose": "authentication",
"verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkrpbudRMUpTWSdqFcG2ytbYu2QQfgGFUf8GJpShR8Gy7C#z6MkrpbudRMUpTWSdqFcG2ytbYu2QQfgGFUf8GJpShR8Gy7C",
"created": "2023-11-18T21:39:59.188276+00:00",
"challenge": "ce0956d4-206d-4b69-a087-52bbb9ddaf1d",
"jws": "eyJhbGciOiAiRWREU0EiLCAiYjY0IjogZmFsc2UsICJjcml0IjogWyJiNjQiXX0..4ciLzT3oF-Ch9nngGVgI_fBNIo_RPPXzRuFXjMx4AdwVNM4ioeB3TNDbHsF7fPXANznkZR0bHceyvMN3-CUSAw"
},
"error": "The challenge is not as expected; challenge=ce0956d4-206d-4b69-a087-52bbb9ddaf1d, expected=328daf6e-f1f5-475a-944e-6446e7b3a969",
"purpose_result": {
"valid": false,
"error": "The challenge is not as expected; challenge=ce0956d4-206d-4b69-a087-52bbb9ddaf1d, expected=328daf6e-f1f5-475a-944e-6446e7b3a969"
}
}
],
"errors": [
"The challenge is not as expected; challenge=ce0956d4-206d-4b69-a087-52bbb9ddaf1d, expected=328daf6e-f1f5-475a-944e-6446e7b3a969"
]
},
"credential_results": [
{
"verified": true,
"document": {
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
"https://w3id.org/citizenship/v1"
],
"type": [
"VerifiableCredential",
"PermanentResident"
],
"issuer": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd",
"issuanceDate": "2023-11-18",
"credentialSubject": {
"type": [
"PermanentResident"
],
"id": "did:key:z6MkrpbudRMUpTWSdqFcG2ytbYu2QQfgGFUf8GJpShR8Gy7C",
"givenName": "Bob",
"familyName": "Builder",
"gender": "Male",
"birthCountry": "Bahamas",
"birthDate": "1958-07-17"
},
"proof": {
"type": "Ed25519Signature2018",
"proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
"verificationMethod": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd#key-1",
"created": "2023-11-18T21:39:56.988853+00:00",
"jws": "eyJhbGciOiAiRWREU0EiLCAiYjY0IjogZmFsc2UsICJjcml0IjogWyJiNjQiXX0..eKdLMhKJkiVNzTKOEv14KyAFJnk8QX5MqXPmRE5OjQvwRNkeXk1lQRovhDhXKw154OrSqLHgfSNwBd3xfwuDCA"
}
},
"results": [
{
"verified": true,
"proof": {
"@context": [
"https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
"https://w3id.org/citizenship/v1"
],
"type": "Ed25519Signature2018",
"proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
"verificationMethod": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd#key-1",
"created": "2023-11-18T21:39:56.988853+00:00",
"jws": "eyJhbGciOiAiRWREU0EiLCAiYjY0IjogZmFsc2UsICJjcml0IjogWyJiNjQiXX0..eKdLMhKJkiVNzTKOEv14KyAFJnk8QX5MqXPmRE5OjQvwRNkeXk1lQRovhDhXKw154OrSqLHgfSNwBd3xfwuDCA"
},
"purpose_result": {
"valid": true,
"controller": {
"@context": "https://w3id.org/security/v2",
"id": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd",
"assertionMethod": [
"did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd#key-1"
],
"authentication": [
{
"id": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd#key-1",
"type": "Ed25519VerificationKey2018",
"controller": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd",
"publicKeyBase58": "8dMkWKZxsK7vS8sR4XgS7gWvRawPp5TMYVFvnU2RyXqo"
}
],
"verificationMethod": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd#key-1",
"https://www.w3.org/ns/did#service": {
"id": "did:sov:EzcfrVw7Tveho5NjrmDWnd#did-communication",
"type": "did-communication",
"https://www.w3.org/ns/did#serviceEndpoint": {
"id": "http://alice:3000"
}
}
}
}
}
]
}
],
"errors": [
"The challenge is not as expected; challenge=ce0956d4-206d-4b69-a087-52bbb9ddaf1d, expected=328daf6e-f1f5-475a-944e-6446e7b3a969"
]
}
The flaw enables holders of W3C Format Verifiable Credentials using JSON-LD with Linked Data Proofs (LDPs) to present incorrectly constructed proofs, and allows malicious verifiers to save and replay a presentation from such holders as their own.
This vulnerability has been present since the first implementation of support for JSON-LD W3C Verifiable Credential Data Model presentations, in Aries Cloud Agent Python release in 0.7.0.
All ACA-Py Users depending on W3C Format Verifiable Credentials using JSON-LD with Linked Data Proofs are impacted by this vulnerability.
Patches
This issue has been patched in version 0.10.5 and fixed in 0.11.0.
Workarounds
There is no workaround other upgrading to a patched/fixed version of ACA-Py.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | aries-cloudagent | ≥ 0.7.0&&< 0.10.5 | 0.10.5 |
| 🐍PyPI | aries-cloudagent | ≥ 0.11.0rc1&&< 0.11.0 | 0.11.0 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for aries-cloudagent. 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 aries-cloudagent to 0.10.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-97x9-59rv-q5pm 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-97x9-59rv-q5pm 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-97x9-59rv-q5pm. 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-97x9-59rv-q5pm in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-97x9-59rv-q5pm across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.