.eth registrar controller can shorten the duration of registered names
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · High · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
Ethereum Name Service (ENS) is a distributed, open, and extensible naming system based on the Ethereum blockchain. According to the documentation, controllers are allowed to register new domains and extend the expiry of existing domains, but they cannot change the ownership or reduce the expiration time of existing domains. However, a preliminary analysis suggests that an attacker-controlled controller may be able to reduce the expiration time of existing domains due to an integer overflow in the renew function. The vulnerability resides `@ensdomains/ens-contracts` prior to version 0.0.22. If successfully exploited, this vulnerability would enable attackers to force the expiration of any ENS record, ultimately allowing them to claim the affected domains for themselves. Currently, it would require a malicious DAO to exploit it. Nevertheless, any vulnerability present in the controllers could potentially render this issue exploitable in the future. An additional concern is the possibility of renewal discounts. Should ENS decide to implement a system that offers unlimited .eth domains for a fixed fee in the future, the vulnerability could become exploitable by any user due to the reduced attack cost. Version 0.0.22 contains a patch for this issue. As long as registration cost remains linear or superlinear based on registration duration, or limited to a reasonable maximum (eg, 1 million years), this vulnerability could only be exploited by a malicious DAO. The interim workaround is thus to take no action.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ensdomains | ens-contracts | up to 0.0.21 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| — | @ensdomains/ens-contracts (npm) | before 0.0.22 | 0.0.22 | Patch available | GHSA-rrxv-q8m4-wch3 |
- ens-contracts Vendorensdomains Affected up to 0.0.21 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- @ensdomains/ens-contracts (npm) Vendor— Affected before 0.0.22 Fixed in 0.0.22 Patch available GHSA-rrxv-q8m4-wch3
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:ens.domains:ethereum_name_service:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 0.0.22 | Vulnerable | ensdomains |
- cpe:2.3:a:ens.domains:ethereum_name_service:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 0.0.22 Vulnerable ·ensdomains
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-rrxv-q8m4-wch3 @ensdomains/ens-contracts (npm) Fixed in 0.0.22 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-38698
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-rrxv-q8m4-wch3
References
More ensdomains Ethereum Name Service vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-18358 ENS DNSSEC Oracle Vulnerable to RSA Signature Forgery via Missing PKCS#1 v1.5 Padding Validation CVSS 4.0LOW 2.7
- TI-2020-04288 Ethereum Name Service - Malicious takeover of previously owned ENS names CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.7
Sources
- CVE-2023-38698 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-38698 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-rrxv-q8m4-wch3 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences