CVE-2023-35163: Vega is a decentralized trading platform that allows pseudo-anonymous trading of derivatives on a blockchain. Prior to version 0.71.6, a vulnerability...

Description

Vega is a decentralized trading platform that allows pseudo-anonymous trading of derivatives on a blockchain. Prior to version 0.71.6, a vulnerability exists that allows a malicious validator to trick the Vega network into re-processing past Ethereum events from Vega’s Ethereum bridge. For example, a deposit to the collateral bridge for 100USDT that credits a party’s general account on Vega, can be re-processed 50 times resulting in 5000USDT in that party’s general account. This is without depositing any more than the original 100USDT on the bridge. Despite this exploit requiring access to a validator's Vega key, a validator key can be obtained at the small cost of 3000VEGA, the amount needed to announce a new node onto the network. A patch is available in version 0.71.6. No known workarounds are available, however there are mitigations in place should this vulnerability be exploited. There are monitoring alerts for `mainnet1` in place to identify any issues of this nature including this vulnerability being exploited. The validators have the ability to stop the bridge thus stopping any withdrawals should this vulnerability be exploited.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.2/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L

EPSS Probability

0.49%

38.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-20

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gobalsky	Vega	< 0.71.6

References

https://github.com/vegaprotocol/vega/commit/56b09bf57af8cd9eca5996252d86f469a3e34c68Patch
https://github.com/vegaprotocol/vega/releases/tag/v0.71.6Release Notes
https://github.com/vegaprotocol/vega/security/advisories/GHSA-8rc9-vxjh-qjf2Exploit, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/vegaprotocol/vega/commit/56b09bf57af8cd9eca5996252d86f469a3e34c68Patch
https://github.com/vegaprotocol/vega/releases/tag/v0.71.6Release Notes
https://github.com/vegaprotocol/vega/security/advisories/GHSA-8rc9-vxjh-qjf2Exploit, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 23, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-35163?

Vega is a decentralized trading platform that allows pseudo-anonymous trading of derivatives on a blockchain. Prior to version 0.71.6, a vulnerability exists that allows a malicious validator to trick the Vega network into re-processing past Ethereum events from Vega’s Ethereum bridge. For example, a deposit to the collateral bridge for 100USDT that credits a party’s general account on Vega, can be re-processed 50 times resulting in 5000USDT in that party’s general account. This is without depositing any more than the original 100USDT on the bridge. Despite this exploit requiring access to a validator's Vega key, a validator key can be obtained at the small cost of 3000VEGA, the amount needed to announce a new node onto the network. A patch is available in version 0.71.6. No known workarounds are available, however there are mitigations in place should this vulnerability be exploited. There are monitoring alerts for `mainnet1` in place to identify any issues of this nature including this vulnerability being exploited. The validators have the ability to stop the bridge thus stopping any withdrawals should this vulnerability be exploited.

How severe is CVE-2023-35163?

CVE-2023-35163 has a CVSS score of 5.2/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.49% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-35163?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

How Strix Helps

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