CVE-2026-72844 (CVSS 6.3)

Description

The Lean 4 kernel does not verify that the structure named in a projection expression matches the type of the value being projected, and environment::add_inductive in src/kernel/inductive.cpp did not type check the nested inductive applications that are replaced by auxiliary types, so their parametric arguments escaped checking. A metaprogram running in the Lean process can register an ill-typed nested inductive whose constructor applies a .proj C 0 projection to a value of the unrelated type W, and the kernel admits the declaration through the ordinary checked addDecl path at maximum kernel checking, without sorry, unsafeCast, debug.skipKernelTC, addDeclWithoutChecking, FFI, or a modified .olean file. The result is a type confusion yielding a proof of False that carries no axioms, from which any proposition can be derived. The published proof of concept additionally pads two expressions until their hashes and approximate depths collide, which defeats kernel caching; that is the technique used to reach the flaw, not its cause. Exploitation requires running a metaprogram in-process, for example by building a project or importing a malicious Lake dependency.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.3

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0018

Probability of exploitation

0.08%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-843 CWE-843

References

Other References

https://github.com/endrazine/lean-cve-poc https://github.com/leanprover/lean4 https://github.com/leanprover/lean4/commit/a39eab69e1eee9ad38f4efe507907b1026a77808 https://github.com/leanprover/lean4/issues/14576 https://github.com/leanprover/lean4/pull/14577 https://github.com/xrchz/CollatzLean https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/02/1 https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/lean-4-kernel-type-checking-bypass-via-mismatched-structure-projections

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-72844? +

The Lean 4 kernel does not verify that the structure named in a projection expression matches the type of the value being projected, and environment::add_inductive in src/kernel/inductive.cpp did not type check the nested inductive applications that are replaced by auxiliary types, so their parametric arguments escaped checking. A metaprogram running in the Lean process can register an ill-typed nested inductive whose constructor applies a .proj C 0 projection to a value of the unrelated type W, and the kernel admits the declaration through the ordinary checked addDecl path at maximum kernel checking, without sorry, unsafeCast, debug.skipKernelTC, addDeclWithoutChecking, FFI, or a modified .olean file. The result is a type confusion yielding a proof of False that carries no axioms, from which any proposition can be derived. The published proof of concept additionally pads two expressions until their hashes and approximate depths collide, which defeats kernel caching; that is the technique used to reach the flaw, not its cause. Exploitation requires running a metaprogram in-process, for example by building a project or importing a malicious Lake dependency. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.3 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-72844? +

CVE-2026-72844 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.3 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0018, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-72844? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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