GHSA-2557-x9mg-76w8
MEDIUMASA-2024-002: Default `PrepareProposalHandler` may produce invalid proposals when used with default `SenderNonceMempool`
Blast Radius
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk🐹github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdkReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
ASA-2024-002: Default PrepareProposalHandler may produce invalid proposals when used with default SenderNonceMempool
Component: Cosmos SDK Criticality: Medium Affected Versions: Cosmos SDK versions <= 0.50.3; <= 0.47.8 Affected Users: Chain developers, Validator and Node operators Impact: Denial of Service
Summary
When using the default PrepareProposalHandler and the default SenderNonceMempool, an issue was identified which may allow invalid blocks to be proposed when a single sender includes multiple transactions with non-sequential sequence numbers in certain conditions. If this state is reached, it can lead to a reduction in block production for a network.
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 KonradStaniec, gitferry, SebastianElvis, and vitsalis who reported it to the Cosmos Bug Bounty Program on HackerOne on January 16, 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.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk | ≥ 0.50.0&&< 0.50.4 | 0.50.4 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk | all versions | 0.47.9 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk to 0.50.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-2557-x9mg-76w8 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-2557-x9mg-76w8 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-2557-x9mg-76w8. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-2557-x9mg-76w8 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-2557-x9mg-76w8 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.