Sigvex
ZKRemediation3 min read

Signal as Array Index Remediation

How to fix unconstrained signals used as array indices by using constrained multiplexer circuits.

zkunder-constrained

Signal as Array Index Remediation

Overview

Related Detector: Signal as Array Index

When an unconstrained signal is used to index into an array during witness generation (result <-- arr[index]), the prover controls which element is selected. The fix is to replace direct array indexing with a constrained multiplexer component (such as Mux1, QuinSelector, or a custom selector) that enforces the index-to-output relationship through constraints.

Before (Vulnerable)

template UnsafeLookup(n) {
    signal input values[n];
    signal input index;
    signal output out;

    // Prover controls which element is selected
    out <-- values[index];
}

After (Fixed – QuinSelector Multiplexer)

template SafeLookup(n) {
    signal input values[n];
    signal input index;
    signal output out;

    component mux = QuinSelector(n);
    for (var i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        mux.in[i] <== values[i];
    }
    mux.index <== index;  // Constrained index
    out <== mux.out;      // Constrained selection
}

After (Fixed – Manual Equality-Based Selector)

For small arrays, a manual selector using equality checks works well:

template SafeSelect(n) {
    signal input values[n];
    signal input index;
    signal output out;

    // Create equality checks for each position
    component eq[n];
    signal terms[n];
    for (var i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        eq[i] = IsEqual();
        eq[i].in[0] <== index;
        eq[i].in[1] <== i;
        terms[i] <== eq[i].out * values[i];
    }

    // Sum all terms -- only one eq[i].out is 1
    signal acc[n];
    acc[0] <== terms[0];
    for (var i = 1; i < n; i++) {
        acc[i] <== acc[i - 1] + terms[i];
    }
    out <== acc[n - 1];
}

Alternative Mitigations

1. Range-Check the Index

If you must compute the index in witness generation, constrain it to a valid range and then use a constrained multiplexer:

signal index;
index <-- computeIndex();

// Range check: index must be less than array size
component lt = LessThan(8);
lt.in[0] <== index;
lt.in[1] <== arraySize;
lt.out === 1;

// Then use constrained mux with the range-checked index

2. Precompute Selection in Template Parameters

If the index is known at compile time, use a template parameter instead of a signal:

template StaticSelect(n, idx) {
    signal input values[n];
    signal output out;
    out <== values[idx];  // Compile-time constant, fully constrained
}

Common Mistakes

Range-checking but not using a multiplexer: Constraining index < n ensures a valid range, but out <-- values[index] is still unconstrained. The prover can return any array element regardless of the index. You need a multiplexer to constrain the index-to-value mapping.

Using a multiplexer with unconstrained index input: Wiring the index to the multiplexer via mux.index <-- index defeats the purpose. Use <== for all multiplexer wiring.

Forgetting that signal array access is not constrained: In Circom, arr[signal_index] during witness generation is a runtime lookup. It generates no constraint linking the index to the selected value.

References