CVE-2022-35916 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A detailed overview of CVE-2022-35916, focusing on the impact on OpenZeppelin Contracts and the necessary mitigation strategies.

Understanding CVE-2022-35916

This CVE involves the misclassification of externally owned accounts (EOAs) as cross chain calls by the cross chain utilities for Arbitrum L2 in OpenZeppelin Contracts.

What is CVE-2022-35916?

OpenZeppelin Contracts library, versions >= 4.6.0 and < 4.7.2, incorrectly treat EOAs' direct interactions as cross chain calls, affecting smart contract development.

The Impact of CVE-2022-35916

The vulnerability could lead to incorrect resource transfers between spheres, posing risks to the integrity of smart contracts utilizing the affected versions.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-35916

Explore the specifics of the vulnerability, affected systems, and exploitation mechanisms.

Vulnerability Description

This vulnerability misclassifies EOAs' direct interactions as cross chain calls, impacting contracts incorporating the Arbitrum L2 cross chain utilities.

Affected Systems and Versions

OpenZeppelin Contracts versions between 4.6.0 and 4.7.2 are susceptible to this misclassification issue, potentially affecting smart contract projects utilizing these versions.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploitation of this vulnerability could result in unintended cross chain calls in contracts, leading to incorrect resource transfers.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the crucial steps to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2022-35916.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are strongly advised to upgrade to OpenZeppelin Contracts v4.7.2 or newer to address this misclassification issue promptly.

Long-Term Security Practices

Developers are encouraged to follow secure coding practices and perform thorough code reviews to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates from OpenZeppelin and promptly apply patches to protect smart contracts from emerging threats.