GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7 — risc0-zkvm-platform
Fix: risc0/risc0#3351GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7 is a Code Injection vulnerability in risc0-zkvm-platform. A fix is available for risc0-zkvm-platform — see the affected versions and patch details below.
risc0 vulnerable to arbitrary code execution in guest via memory safety failure in `sys_read`
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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-jqq4-c7wq-36h7.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
risc0-zkvm-platform🦀risc0-zkos-v1compat🦀risc0-aggregation🦀risc0-zkvm🦀risc0-zkvmReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects crates.io packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Arbitrary code execution in guest via memory safety failure in sys_read
In affected versions of risc0-zkvm-platform, when the zkVM guest calls sys_read, the host is able to use a crafted response to write to an arbitrary memory location in the guest. This capability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code within the guest. As sys_read is the mechanism by which input is requested by the guest, all guest programs built with the affected versions are vulnerable. This critically compromises the soundness guarantees of the guest program.
A fix was applied in #3351. The vulnerable pointer arithmetic was removed, and replaced with a simplified implementation in the v1compat kernel which uses Rust’s slice functions to guarantee memory safety.
The fix has been released as part of risc0-zkvm versions 2.3.2 and 3.0.3. All prior versions are affected.
Remediation
All developers of zkVM applications should update their guests to use risc0-zkvm versions ^2.3.2 or ^3.0.3.
This upgrade can be accomplished by editing all Cargo.toml files in the following way.
- Any references to
risc0-zkvmshould use version specifiers”2.3.2”or”3.0.3”. - Any references to
risc0-buildshould use version specifiers”2.3.2”or”3.0.3”, matchingrisc0-zkvm. - Any references to
risc0-zkvm-platformshould use version specifier”2.1.0”or later. Most projects will not have direct references to this crate.
Rebuild your application including the guest. You can run the following command to check that the patch is applied:
# Provide the path to your guest Cargo.toml. Should report risc0-zkvm-platform >=v2.1.0
cargo tree --depth 0 -p risc0-zkvm-platform --manifest-path path/to/methods/guest/Cargo.toml
Any applications that use the image ID of this guest need to be updated with the newly built image ID.
Note that there are no changes to the RISC Zero proof system or circuits. Provers are not required to take any action. Users of the Groth16 smart contract verifier and the RISC Zero Verifier Router are not required to take any action beyond updating their guest programs.
Any applications using the risc0-aggregation crate or the RiscZeroSetVerifier smart contract should update to version >=0.9. This application includes a zkVM guest, which is vulnerable in versions prior to 0.9. Instances of the RiscZeroSetVerifier operated by RISC Zero have been disabled via the estop mechanism outlined in the Verifier Management Design.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkvm-platform | all versions | 2.1.0cargo update -p risc0-zkvm-platform --precise 2.1.0 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkos-v1compat | all versions | 2.1.0cargo update -p risc0-zkos-v1compat --precise 2.1.0 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-aggregation | all versions | 0.9cargo update -p risc0-aggregation --precise 0.9 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkvm | all versions | 2.3.2cargo update -p risc0-zkvm --precise 2.3.2 |
| 🦀crates.io | risc0-zkvm | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.3 | 3.0.3cargo update -p risc0-zkvm --precise 3.0.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for risc0-zkvm-platform, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update risc0-zkvm-platform to 2.1.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7. 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-jqq4-c7wq-36h7 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7 across crates.io dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.