CVE-2021-39193: parity frontier Improper Input Validation

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2021-39193 is a medium (CVSS 5.3) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in parity frontier. EPSS estimates a 1.19% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 67.6% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 03-09-2021
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 04-08-2024
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Frontier is Substrate's Ethereum compatibility layer. Prior to commit number 0b962f218f0cdd796dadfe26c3f09e68f7861b26, a bug in `pallet-ethereum` can cause invalid transactions to be included in the Ethereum block state in `pallet-ethereum` due to not validating the input data size. Any invalid transactions included this way have no possibility to alter the internal Ethereum or Substrate state. The transaction will appear to have be included, but is of no effect as it is rejected by the EVM engine. The impact is further limited by Substrate extrinsic size constraints. A patch is available in commit number 0b962f218f0cdd796dadfe26c3f09e68f7861b26. There are no workarounds aside from applying the patch.

• CWE-20Improper Input ValidationThe product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.
• CWE-1284Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in InputThe product receives input that is expected to specify a quantity (such as size or length), but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the quantity has the required properties.