CVE-2023-38698

What it is

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.

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited over the network with an admin-level account. High risk of data tampering.

Exploit odds

0.8% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2023-08-04 18:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-06-17 06:10 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.8% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 4.9 MEDIUM (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2023-08-04 18:15 UTC

Last modified

2026-06-17 06:10 UTC

Exploit probability

0.8% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-190 · Integer overflow

Record status

Modified

Affected

• ens.domains Ethereum Name Service < 0.0.22

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 4.9

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

High

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

High

Availability

None

Is it in your code?

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