Infinite decoding loop through specially crafted payload
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-835.
Summary
The Candid library causes a Denial of Service while parsing a specially crafted payload with 'empty' data type. For example, if the payload is `record { * ; empty }` and the canister interface expects `record { * }` then the Rust candid decoder treats empty as an extra field required by the type. The problem with the type empty is that the candid Rust library wrongly categorizes empty as a recoverable error when skipping the field and thus causing an infinite decoding loop. Canisters using affected versions of candid are exposed to denial of service by causing the decoding to run indefinitely until the canister traps due to reaching maximum instruction limit per execution round. Repeated exposure to the payload will result in degraded performance of the canister. Note: Canisters written in Motoko are unaffected.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Computer | Candid | 0.9.0 to before 0.9.10 | 0.9.10 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | candid (crates.io) | 0.9.0 to before 0.9.10 | 0.9.10 | Patch available | GHSA-7787-p7x6-fq3j |
- Candid VendorInternet Computer Affected 0.9.0 to before 0.9.10 Fixed in 0.9.10 Patch available CNA
- candid (crates.io) Vendor— Affected 0.9.0 to before 0.9.10 Fixed in 0.9.10 Patch available GHSA-7787-p7x6-fq3j
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:dfinity:candid:*:*:*:*:*:rust:*:* | 0.9.0 to before 0.9.10 | Vulnerable | Internet Computer |
- cpe:2.3:a:dfinity:candid:*:*:*:*:*:rust:*:* Versions 0.9.0 to before 0.9.10 Vulnerable ·Internet Computer
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Candid (Internet Computer) Fixed in 0.9.10
- Fix · GHSA-7787-p7x6-fq3j candid (crates.io) Fixed in 0.9.10 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-6245
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7787-p7x6-fq3j
References
Patch 2
Other 6
- https://internetcomputer.org/docs/current/references/candid-ref
- https://github.com/dfinity/candid/blob/master/spec/Candid.md
- https://internetcomputer.org/docs/current/references/ic-interface-spec
- https://github.com/dfinity/candid/commit/b233dbc2d2bcc79c9fc574dd5968269df680b073
- https://github.com/dfinity/candid
- https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2023-0073.html
Sources
- CVE-2023-6245 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-6245 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7787-p7x6-fq3j · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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