fix: add canonical range check to MontyField31 deserialization#155
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TomWambsgans merged 1 commit intoleanEthereum:mainfrom Feb 28, 2026
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The Deserialize impl for MontyField31 accepts any u32 and passes it directly to new_monty() without verifying val < PRIME. An attacker can supply a value >= PRIME that is stored as-is in Montgomery form, creating a non-canonical field element. This breaks the field invariant (value < P) and can cause incorrect arithmetic, forged proofs, or consensus divergence. Add a range check that rejects values >= FP::PRIME with a descriptive serde error. Severity: CRITICAL (F-01)
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Summary
Severity: CRITICAL (F-01)
The
Deserializeimpl forMontyField31atcrates/backend/koala-bear/src/monty_31/monty_31.rs:159-164accepts anyu32and passes it directly tonew_monty()without verifyingval < PRIME. An attacker can craft a serialized value >=FP::PRIMEthat gets stored as-is in Montgomery form, creating a non-canonical field element.This breaks the field invariant (
value < P) and can cause:Fix
Add a range check before
new_monty():Test plan
Found during security audit of leanEthereum repositories.