OpenZeppelin Contracts Bytes's lastIndexOf function with position argument performs out-of-bound memory access on empty buffersGHSA-9rcw-c2f9-2j55
NONEFix: OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts#5797GHSA-9rcw-c2f9-2j55 is a none-severity (CVSS 0) Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability in @openzeppelin/contracts. A fix is available for @openzeppelin/contracts — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-9rcw-c2f9-2j55.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
@openzeppelin/contractsnpm@openzeppelin/contracts-upgradeablenpmDescription
OpenZeppelin Contracts is a library for secure smart contract development. Starting in version 5.2.0 and prior to version 5.4.0, the lastIndexOf(bytes,byte,uint256) function of the Bytes.sol library may access uninitialized memory when the following two conditions hold: 1) the provided buffer length is empty (i.e. buffer.length == 0) and position is not 2**256 - 1 (i.e. pos != type(uint256).max). The pos argument could be used to access arbitrary data outside of the buffer bounds. This could lead to the operation running out of gas, or returning an invalid index (outside of the empty buffer). Processing this invalid result for accessing the buffer would cause a revert under normal conditions. When triggered, the function reads memory at offset buffer + 0x20 + pos. If memory at that location (outside the buffer) matches the search pattern, the function would return an out of bound index instead of the expected type(uint256).max. This creates unexpected behavior where callers receive a valid-looking index pointing outside buffer bounds. Subsequent memory accesses that don't check bounds and use the returned index must carefully review the potential impact depending on their setup. Code relying on this function returning type(uint256).max for empty buffers or using the returned index without bounds checking could exhibit undefined behavior. Users should upgrade to version 5.4.0 to receive a patch.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @openzeppelin/contracts | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.4.0 | 5.4.0npm install @openzeppelin/contracts@5.4.0 |
| 📦npm | @openzeppelin/contracts-upgradeable | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.4.0 | 5.4.0npm install @openzeppelin/contracts-upgradeable@5.4.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @openzeppelin/contracts, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update @openzeppelin/contracts to 5.4.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-9rcw-c2f9-2j55 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Constrain what reaches the vulnerable code: limit the size and shape of untrusted input, isolate the affected component in a sandboxed or least-privileged process, and enable the platform's memory-safety mitigations (ASLR, stack protector, hardened allocator) so an out-of-bounds access is more likely to fail closed than to be exploitable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-9rcw-c2f9-2j55 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.