CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-34360NVD status: Deferred

go-spacemesh: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-34360 is a high-severity improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions vulnerability in go-spacemesh from Spacemeshos, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 1.5.2-hotfix1 as the first without the flaw, so updating go-spacemesh to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.73% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 55% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update go-spacemesh to 1.5.2-hotfix1 or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Spacemeshosgo-spacemesh< 1.5.2-hotfix1; before 1.5.2-hotfix11.5.2-hotfix1

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
LowLimited modification of data is possible.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

go-spacemesh is a Go implementation of the Spacemesh protocol full node. Nodes can publish activations transactions (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. This vulnerability is fixed in go-spacemesh 1.5.2-hotfix1 and Spacemesh API 1.37.1.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions

The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Choose languages with features such as exception handling that force the programmer to anticipate unusual conditions that may generate exceptions. Custom exceptions may need to be developed to handle unusual business-logic conditions. Be careful not to pass sensitive exceptions back to the user (CWE-209, CWE-248).
  • Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is expected.
  • If using exception handling, catch and throw specific exceptions instead of overly-general exceptions (CWE-396, CWE-397). Catch and handle exceptions as locally as possible so that exceptions do not propagate too far up the call stack (CWE-705). Avoid unchecked or uncaught exceptions where feasible (CWE-248).

More Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities (CWE-754)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities

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