Summary
ASA-2024-005: Potential slashing evasion during re-delegation
ASA-2024-005: Potential slashing evasion during re-delegation
Component: Cosmos SDK
Criticality: Low
Affected Versions: Cosmos SDK versions <= 0.50.4; <= 0.47.9
Affected Users: Chain developers, Validator and Node operators
Impact: Slashing Evasion
An issue was identified in the slashing mechanism that may allow for the evasion of slashing penalties during a slashing event. If a delegation contributed to byzantine behavior of a validator, and the validator has not yet been slashed, it may be possible for that delegation to evade a pending slashing penalty through re-delegation behavior. Additional validation logic was added to restrict this behavior.
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/.
This issue was found by cat shark (Khanh) who reported it to the Cosmos Bug Bounty Program on HackerOne on December 6, 2023. If you believe you have found a bug in the Interchain Stack or would like to contribute to the program by reporting a bug, please see https://hackerone.com/cosmos.
Impact
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk to 0.50.5 or later; github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk to 0.47.10 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC? GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC is a low-severity security vulnerability in github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk (go), affecting versions >= 0.50.0, <= 0.50.4. It is fixed in 0.50.5, 0.47.10.
- Which versions of github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk are affected by GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC? github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk (go) versions >= 0.50.0, <= 0.50.4 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC? Yes. GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC is fixed in 0.50.5, 0.47.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-86H5-XCPX-CFQC?
- Upgrade
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdkto 0.50.5 or later - Upgrade
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdkto 0.47.10 or later
- Upgrade