---
title: "CVE-2025-61588: risc0 vulnerable to arbitrary code execution in guest via memory safety failure in `sys_read`"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-61588/
description: "CVE-2025-61588 (risc0-zkvm-platform (crates.io (Rust))): RISC Zero is a zero-knowledge verifiable general computing platform based on zk-STARKs and the…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2025-10-01
date_modified: 2025-10-02
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2025-61588"
kev: false
cvss: 9.3
epss: 0.00463
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2025-61588: risc0 vulnerable to arbitrary code execution in guest via memory safety failure in `sys_read`

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.5% , percentile 39: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 39% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes risc0-zkvm-platform (crates.io (Rust)) < 2.1.0, fixed in 2.1.0 ; risc0-zkos-v1compat (crates.io (Rust)) < 2.1.0, fixed in 2.1.0 ; risc0-aggregation (crates.io (Rust)) < 0.9, fixed in 0.9 ; risc0-zkvm (crates.io (Rust)) < 2.3.2, fixed in 2.3.2 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

RISC Zero is a zero-knowledge verifiable general computing platform based on zk-STARKs and the RISC-V microarchitecture. In versions 2.0.2 and below of risc0-zkvm-platform, when the zkVM guest calls sysread, the host is able to use a crafted response to write to an arbitrary memory location in the guest. This capability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code within the guest. As sysread is the mechanism by which input is requested by the guest, all guest programs built with the affected versions are vulnerable. This critically compromises the soundness guarantees of the guest program. Other affected packages include risc0-aggregation versions below 0.9, risc0-zkos-v1compat below 2.1.0, risc0-zkvm versions between 3.0.0-rc.1 and 3.0.1. This issue has been fixed in the following versions: risc0-zkvm-platform 2.1.0, risc0-zkos-v1compat 2.1.0, risc0-aggregation 0.9, and risc0-zkvm 2.3.2 and 3.0.3.

## Affected packages

- crates.io (Rust) `risc0-zkvm-platform` < 2.1.0 → fixed: 2.1.0
- crates.io (Rust) `risc0-zkos-v1compat` < 2.1.0 → fixed: 2.1.0
- crates.io (Rust) `risc0-aggregation` < 0.9 → fixed: 0.9
- crates.io (Rust) `risc0-zkvm` < 2.3.2 → fixed: 2.3.2
- crates.io (Rust) `risc0-zkvm` >= 3.0.0, < 3.0.3 → fixed: 3.0.3

## Affected products (CVE record)

- risc0 risc0: < 2.1.0

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.46% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 39.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2025-61588](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-61588)
- [NVD entry CVE-2025-61588](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-61588)
- [github.com](https://github.com/risc0/risc0/security/advisories/GHSA-jqq4-c7wq-36h7)
- [github.com](https://github.com/risc0/risc0/pull/3351)
- [github.com](https://github.com/risc0/risc0/commit/3f00e1fa0159599c1601e788021f2169d1f0a4dc)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-61588/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt