CVE-2023-28431: Frontier is an Ethereum compatibility layer for Substrate

Q: How do I fix CVE-2023-28431?

frontier: upgrade to 2023-03-15. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2023-28431 being exploited?

CVE-2023-28431 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2023-28431 affect?

CVE-2023-28431 affects frontier. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Frontier is an Ethereum compatibility layer for Substrate. Frontier's `modexp` precompile uses `num-bigint` crate under the hood. In the implementation prior to pull request 1017, the cases for modulus being even and modulus being odd are t

Q: How urgent is CVE-2023-28431?

Priority 46/100. High severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

This month

HIGH 7.5REMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2023-28431 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting frontier. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Frontier is an Ethereum compatibility layer for Substrate. Frontier's `modexp` precompile uses `num-bigint` crate under the hood. In the implementation prior to pull request 1017, the cases for modulus being even and modulus being odd are treated separately. Odd modulus uses the fast Montgomery multiplication, and even modulus uses the slow plain power algorithm. This gas cost discrepancy was not accounted for in the `modexp` precompile, leading

Why this priority

High severity
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.9% (top 41%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-682
Published	2023-03-22
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): GitHub, Inc. · Vendor: parity

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2023-03-22 21:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 05:47 UTCUpdated Record last modified

parity frontier UPGRADE

Affected: < 2023-03-15

Fixed in: 2023-03-15

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy frontier || rpm -q frontier || frontier --version

2. UPGRADE to 2023-03-15 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade frontier

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade frontier

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2023-28431?

frontier: upgrade to 2023-03-15. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2023-28431 being exploited?

CVE-2023-28431 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2023-28431 affect?

CVE-2023-28431 affects frontier. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Frontier is an Ethereum compatibility layer for Substrate. Frontier's `modexp` precompile uses `num-bigint` crate under the hood. In the implementation prior to pull request 1017, the cases for modulus being even and modulus being odd are t

How urgent is CVE-2023-28431?

Priority 46/100. High severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Related CVEs

CVE-2023-45130 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE Frontier is Substrate's Ethereum compatibility layer
CVE-2022-39242 MEDIUM 5.3 UPGRADE Frontier is an Ethereum compatibility layer for Substrate
CVE-2022-36008 HIGH 7.1 MITIGATE Frontier is Substrate's Ethereum compatibility layer
CVE-2022-31111 MEDIUM 5.3 MITIGATE Frontier is Substrate's Ethereum compatibility layer
CVE-2022-21685 MEDIUM 6.5 UPGRADE Frontier is Substrate's Ethereum compatibility layer

References

← Back to latest CVEs