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TI-2023-20049 Aliases CVE-2023-38701

Hydra's committed UTxOs at Commit validator and UTxOs at Initial validator can be spent arbitrarily by anyone

Priority HIGH 78CWE-20Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.

Summary

Hydra is the layer-two scalability solution for Cardano. Users of the Hydra head protocol send the UTxOs they wish to commit into the Hydra head first to the `commit` validator, where they remain until they are either collected into the `head` validator or the protocol initialisation is aborted and the value in the committed UTxOs is returned to the users who committed them. Prior to version 0.12.0, the `commit` validator contains a flawed check when the `ViaAbort` redeemer is used, which allows any user to spend any UTxO which is at the validator arbitrarily, meaning an attacker can steal the funds that users are trying to commit into the head validator. The intended behavior is that the funds must be returned to the user which committed the funds and can only be performed by a participant of the head. The `initial` validator also is similarly affected as the same flawed check is performed for the `ViaAbort` redeemer. Due to this issue, an attacker can steal any funds that user's try to commit into a Hydra head. Also, an attacker can prevent any Hydra head from being successfully opened. It does not allow an attacker to take funds which have been successfully collected into and currently reside in the `head` validator. Version 0.12.0 contains a fix for this issue.

Why it matters now

Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.01129 66th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed hydra (input-output-hk): 0.12.0

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
Poc
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

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
input-output-hkhydrabefore 0.12.00.12.0Patch availableCNA
  • hydra Vendorinput-output-hk Affected before 0.12.0 Fixed in 0.12.0 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:iohk:hydra:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 0.12.0Vulnerableinput-output-hk
  • cpe:2.3:a:iohk:hydra:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 0.12.0 Vulnerable ·input-output-hk

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA hydra (input-output-hk) Fixed in 0.12.0

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-38701

References

  • TI-2023-22614 Improper input validation in input-output-hk hydra CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
  • TI-2023-22613 Improper input validation in input-output-hk hydra CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
  • TI-2023-22897 Snapshot signature not including HeadID will allow replay attacks CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences