Executive brief
Nimiq is a blockchain protocol using a Rust-based implementation. A flaw in how the system handles data from its distributed network allows a malicious participant to block legitimate data from being processed. This can lead to a denial-of-service condition where the node fails to synchronize or retrieve necessary records, potentially disrupting blockchain operations.
Technical details
A vulnerability exists in the handle_dht_get() function of Nimiq's Rust implementation. The DhtResults accumulator is only initialized upon the successful verification of the first received DHT record. If an attacker-controlled DHT node provides an invalid first record, the accumulator is never created. Consequently, all subsequent valid records from legitimate nodes are discarded with 'DHT inconsistent state' errors. This allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to poison DHT queries and cause a denial-of-service (DoS) for network lookups. The issue is addressed in version 1.4.0 by ensuring proper initialization of the results accumulator.
Affected products
- Nimiq core-rs-albatross (Nimiq Rust implementation) <= 1.3.0
Timeline
- 2026-04-22: patched: Version 1.4.0 released
- 2026-05-15: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-06-10: disclosed: CVE published to NVD