Summary
Validation of VoteExtensionsEnableHeight can cause chain halt in Go package github.com/cometbft/cometbft
A vulnerability in CometBFT’s validation logic for VoteExtensionsEnableHeight can result in a chain halt when triggered through a governance parameter change proposal on an ABCI2 Application Chain. If a parameter change proposal including a VoteExtensionsEnableHeight modification is passed, nodes running the affected versions may panic, halting the network.
The CometBFT team addressed this issue by improving validation logic for the VoteExtensionsEnableHeight to correctly handle governance proposals addressing this parameter.
Next Steps for Impacted Parties
If you are a chain developer with an active network running on CometBFT v. 0.38.x, we recommend updating your chain application to v0.38.3 or later of CometBFT to patch this issue.
This issue can be resolved with a “soft patch” to an active network, i.e. nodes can be patched and restarted at different times without the need for a coordinated upgrade that halts a chain. If this patching methodology is used, the risk of a network halt triggered by this issue is mitigated once more than 66.7% of voting power on the network has applied the update, which provides protection from exploitation while on-chain governance processes for software upgrades take place. Once all validator nodes operating a network have been updated, the risk of a network halt due to this issue will be fully resolved.
For more information about CometBFT, see https://docs.cometbft.com/.
This issue was found by Dongsam (@b_harvest) who reported it to the Cosmos Bug Bounty Program on HackerOne on January 15, 2024. 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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-QR8R-M495-7HC4? GHSA-QR8R-M495-7HC4 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/cometbft/cometbft (go), affecting versions >= 0.38.0, < 0.38.3. It is fixed in 0.38.3.
- Which versions of github.com/cometbft/cometbft are affected by GHSA-QR8R-M495-7HC4? github.com/cometbft/cometbft (go) versions >= 0.38.0, < 0.38.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-QR8R-M495-7HC4? Yes. GHSA-QR8R-M495-7HC4 is fixed in 0.38.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-QR8R-M495-7HC4 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-QR8R-M495-7HC4 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-QR8R-M495-7HC4 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-QR8R-M495-7HC4? Upgrade
github.com/cometbft/cometbftto 0.38.3 or later.