IBC-Go: Non-deterministic JSON Unmarshalling of IBC Acknowledgement can result in a chain halt

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

not scored

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Name: ISA-2025-001: Non-deterministic JSON Unmarshalling of IBC Acknowledgement can result in a chain halt Component: IBC-Go Criticality: High (Considerable Impact; Likely Likelihood per ACMv1.2) Affected versions: IBC-Go = v7; Earlier IBC-Go versions MAY also be affected. Affected users: Validators, Full nodes, IBC Middleware authors Description An issue was discovered in IBC-Go's deserialization of acknowledgements that results in non-deterministic behavior which can halt a chain. Any user that can open an IBC channel can introduce this state to the chain. The following patch is in addition to the previous patch which now extends the same protection to all applications beyond transfer. Patches The new IBC-Go releases below address this issue: v7.10.0 v8.7.0 Workarounds To prevent this state from being introduced to a chain, it is possible to permission Channel Opening as a workaround. Notes on Re-Release This is an extension of the previous patch, please update to the latest patch…

Published by the source

12 Mar 2025, 19:29 UTC

Last modified by the source

12 Mar 2025, 19:29 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:09 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-4wf3-5qj9-368v

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# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-4wf3-5qj9-368v

Advisory: IBC-Go: Non-deterministic JSON Unmarshalling of IBC Acknowledgement can result in a chain halt
IDs: GHSA-4wf3-5qj9-368v
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-4wf3-5qj9-368v (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:09 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Unrated
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v7 7.10.0; github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v5 7.10.0; github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3 7.10.0; github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v8 8.7.0; github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v4 7.10.0; github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v6 7.10.0; github.com/cosmos/ibc-go 7.10.0; github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v2 7.10.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v7: affected < 7.10.0; fixed in 7.10.0
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v5: affected < 7.10.0; fixed in 7.10.0
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3: affected < 7.10.0; fixed in 7.10.0
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v8: affected >= 8.0.0-alpha.1, < 8.7.0; fixed in 8.7.0
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v4: affected < 7.10.0; fixed in 7.10.0
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v6: affected < 7.10.0; fixed in 7.10.0
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go: affected < 7.10.0; fixed in 7.10.0
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v2: affected < 7.10.0; fixed in 7.10.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v7: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v5: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v8: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v4: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v6: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v2: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v7, github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v5, github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v3, github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v8, github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v4, github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v6, github.com/cosmos/ibc-go, github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v2.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-4wf3-5qj9-368v (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-4wf3-5qj9-368v lists affected ranges: Go github.com/cosmos/ibc-go >=0 =8.0.0-alpha.1 =0 =0 =0 =0 =0 =0 <7.10.0)

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