CVE-2021-41138 : Security Advisory and Response
Learn about CVE-2021-41138 affecting Frontier's Ethereum compatibility layer. Discover impact, mitigation steps, and preventive measures for this Medium-rated vulnerability.
Frontier is Substrate's Ethereum compatibility layer. A vulnerability allows malicious validators to insert invalid transactions into blocks.
Understanding CVE-2021-41138
What is CVE-2021-41138?
Frontier's validation logic for some transactions was bypassed, enabling validators to include invalid transactions.
The Impact of CVE-2021-41138
- CVSS Score: 5.3 (Medium)
- Attack Complexity: Low
- Attack Vector: Network
- Integrity Impact: Low
- No Confidentiality Impact
- Privileges Required: None
- Scope: Unchanged
- Exploitation may lead to chain ID replay attacks and spamming.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-41138
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability allowed omission of critical transaction validation logic in block execution.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: frontier
- Vendor: paritytech
- Versions Affected: < 146bb48
Exploitation Mechanism
Malicious validators can exploit the omission to include invalid transactions in blocks.
Mitigation and Prevention
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply the provided patch commit
146bb48849e5393004be5c88beefe76fdf009aba- Monitor for any unusual transaction activities.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update to the latest releases.
- Conduct security audits to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
Patching and Updates
- Ensure all systems are updated with the latest patches and fixes for ongoing protection.