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CVE-2023-40015: Vyper: reversed order of side effects for some operations

September 4, 2023 (updated June 18, 2025)

For the following (probably non-exhaustive) list of expressions, the compiler evaluates the arguments from right to left instead of left to right.

- unsafe_add
- unsafe_sub
- unsafe_mul
- unsafe_div
- pow_mod256
- |, &, ^ (bitwise operators)
- bitwise_or (deprecated)
- bitwise_and (deprecated)
- bitwise_xor (deprecated)
- raw_call
- <, >, <=, >=, ==, !=
- in, not in (when lhs and rhs are enums)

This behaviour becomes a problem when the evaluation of one of the arguments produces side effects that other arguments depend on. The following expressions can produce side-effect:

  • state modifying external call
  • state modifying internal call
  • raw_call
  • pop() when used on a Dynamic Array stored in the storage
  • create_minimal_proxy_to
  • create_copy_of
  • create_from_blueprint

For example:

f:uint256

@internal
def side_effect() -> uint256:
self.f = 12
return 1

@external
def foo() -> uint256:
return unsafe_add(self.f,self.side_effect()) # returns 13 instead of 1
a:DynArray[uint256, 12]
@external
def bar() -> bool:
self.a = [1,2,3]
return len(self.a) == self.a.pop() # return false instead of true

References

  • github.com/advisories/GHSA-g2xh-c426-v8mf
  • github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/vyper/PYSEC-2023-167.yaml
  • github.com/vyperlang/vyper
  • github.com/vyperlang/vyper/issues/3604
  • github.com/vyperlang/vyper/issues/4019
  • github.com/vyperlang/vyper/pull/4157
  • github.com/vyperlang/vyper/security/advisories/GHSA-g2xh-c426-v8mf
  • nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40015

Code Behaviors & Features

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Affected versions

All versions up to 0.4.2

Solution

Unfortunately, there is no solution available yet.

Impact 5.3 MEDIUM

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

Learn more about CVSS

Weakness

  • CWE-670: Always-Incorrect Control Flow Implementation

Source file

pypi/vyper/CVE-2023-40015.yml

Spotted a mistake? Edit the file on GitLab.

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