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Previous ATX is not checked to be the newest valid ATX by Smesher when validating incoming ATX

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 10, 2024 in spacemeshos/go-spacemesh • Updated May 14, 2024

Package

gomod github.com/spacemeshos/api (Go)

Affected versions

< 1.37.1

Patched versions

1.37.1
gomod github.com/spacemeshos/go-spacemesh (Go)
< 1.5.2-hotfix1
1.5.2-hotfix1

Description

Impact

Nodes can publish ATXs which reference the incorrect previous ATX of the Smesher that created the ATX. ATXs are expected to form a single chain from the newest to the first ATX ever published by an identity. Allowing Smeshers to reference an earlier (but not the latest) ATX as previous breaks this protocol rule and can serve as an attack vector where Nodes are rewarded for holding their PoST data for less than one epoch but still being eligible for rewards.

Patches

  • API needs to be extended to be able to fetch events from a node that dected malicious behavior of this regard by the node
  • go-spacemesh needs to be patched to a) not allow publishing these ATXs any more and b) create malfeasance proofs for identities that published invalid ATXs in the past.

Workarounds

n/a

References

Spacemesh protocol whitepaper: https://spacemesh.io/blog/spacemesh-white-paper-1/, specifically sections 4.4.2 ("ATX Contents") and 4.4.3 ("ATX validity")

References

@fasmat fasmat published to spacemeshos/go-spacemesh May 10, 2024
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 10, 2024
Reviewed May 10, 2024
Published by the National Vulnerability Database May 14, 2024
Last updated May 14, 2024

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N

EPSS score

0.045%
(17th percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2024-34360

GHSA ID

GHSA-jcqq-g64v-gcm7

Source code

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