GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v ASA-2024-006: ValidateVoteExtensions helper function in Cosmos SDK may allow incorrect voting power assumptions

Q: Which versions are affected by GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk.

Q: Is GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v in the wild and no public exploit code.

Q: How do I fix GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v?

Upgrade github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk to 0.50.5 or later.

Not scored Published 12 Mar 2024

A dishonest proposer can manipulate voting power assumptions in Cosmos SDK chains, potentially altering state and elevating privileges.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: An administrator
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v?

GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v is a vulnerability in github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk, published on 12 Mar 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

Official description

ASA-2024-006: ValidateVoteExtensions helper function may allow incorrect voting power assumptions

Component: Cosmos SDK Criticality: High Affected Versions: Cosmos SDK versions <= 0.50.4, on 0.50 branches Affected Users: Chain developers, Validator and Node operators Impact: Elevation of Privilege

Summary

The default ValidateVoteExtensions helper function infers total voting power based off of the injected VoteExtension, which are injected by the proposer. If your chain utilizes the ValidateVoteExtensions helper in ProcessProposal, a dishonest proposer can potentially mutate voting power of each validator it includes in the injected VoteExtension, which could have potentially unexpected or negative consequences on modified state. Additional validation on injected VoteExtension data was added to confirm voting power against the state machine.

Next Steps for Impacted Parties

If you are a chain developer on an affected version of the Cosmos SDK, it is advised to update to the latest available version of the Cosmos SDK for your project. Once a patched version is available, it is recommended that network operators upgrade.

A Github Security Advisory for this issue is available in the Cosmos-SDK repository. For more information about Cosmos SDK, see https://docs.cosmos.network/.

Which versions are affected by GHSA-95rx-m9m5-m94v?