# CVE-2023-32059: Vyper vulnerable to incorrect ordering of arguments for kwargs passed to internal calls

> Attackers can exploit incorrect argument ordering in internal calls to bypass type checking and execute unintended code in Vyper smart contracts.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 May 2023
- **Updated:** 24 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ph9x-4vc9-m39g, PYSEC-2023-79

## What is CVE-2023-32059?

CVE-2023-32059 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in vyperlang vyper, published on 11 May 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Vyper is a Pythonic smart contract language for the Ethereum virtual machine. Prior to version 0.3.8, internal calls with default arguments are compiled incorrectly. Depending on the number of arguments provided in the call, the defaults are added not right-to-left, but left-to-right. If the types are incompatible, typechecking is bypassed. The ability to pass kwargs to internal functions is an undocumented feature that is not well known about. The issue is patched in version 0.3.8.

Weakness: CWE-683 (Function Call With Incorrect Order of Arguments)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-32059?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including vyper. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `vyper` | PyPI | All versions | 0.3.8 |
| `vyper` | PyPI | All versions | 0.3.8 |
| `vyper` | PyPI | All versions | 0.3.8 |

Products: Vyperlang Vyper.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-32059?

Upgrade vyper to 0.3.8 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-32059 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-32059 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in vyperlang vyper

- [CVE-2024-24563](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-24563/): Vyper array negative index vulnerability (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-24561](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-24561/): Vyper bounds check on built-in `slice()` function can be overflowed (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-39363](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-39363/): Vyper incorrectly allocated named re-entrancy locks (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2022-24845](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24845/): Integer bounds error in Vyper (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-29255](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-29255/): Multiple evaluation of contract address in call in vyper (high 8.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-32059 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-32059 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in vyperlang vyper, published on 11 May 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-32059 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- vyper (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 0.3.8
- vyper (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 0.3.8
- vyper (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 0.3.8

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32059/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32059/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-32059
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32059
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-32059

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32059/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.