zebrad vulnerable to full node denial of service via crafted Sapling receiver in z_listunifiedreceivers
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from GitHub. Impact type from CWE-248.
Summary
### Am I affected You are affected if: 1. You run `zebrad` up to and including `v4.4.1`. 2. Your `zebrad.toml` sets `rpc.listen_addr` to a TCP address (RPC server is enabled). 3. An attacker can authenticate to the RPC endpoint. With the default `enable_cookie_auth = true`, this requires the attacker to read the `.cookie` file (typically local access). With `enable_cookie_auth = false`, any network client reaching the RPC port can trigger it. ### Summary The `z_listunifiedreceivers` RPC handler panics when processing a structurally valid Unified Address whose Sapling receiver carries 43 bytes that fail cryptographic validation (`sapling_crypto::PaymentAddress::from_bytes` returns `None` for non-subgroup Jubjub points). The handler calls `.expect("using data already decoded as valid")` on the fallible result. Because Zebra's release profile sets `panic = "abort"`, the panic terminates the entire node process, not just the RPC task. ### Details `zcash_address::unified::Encoding::decode` validates only the structural envelope of a Unified Address (F4Jumble, bech32m, typecode ordering, 43-byte length for Sapling). It does not validate that the embedded `pk_d` is a valid Jubjub subgroup point or that the diversifier produces a valid `g_d` preimage. At `zebra-rpc/src/methods.rs:2893`, the handler calls `Address::try_from_sapling(network, data)`, which delegates to `sapling_crypto::PaymentAddress::from_bytes`. When `from_bytes` returns `None` (most random 32-byte strings fail the subgroup check), the `.expect()` fires and the process aborts. The same crate already handles this correctly in `try_from_unified` at `zebra-chain/src/primitives/address.rs:99-110`, which returns `Err` when `from_bytes` fails. The vulnerable code path bypasses this validated route. ### Patches zebra-rpc 8.0.0 and zebrad 4.5.0. Replace `.expect()` with `.map_err(|e| ErrorObject::owned(...))` for proper error propagation, or route through the existing `try_from_unified` path which already handles this case correctly. ### Workarounds - Disable the RPC server by removing `rpc.listen_addr` from `zebrad.toml`. - Ensure `enable_cookie_auth = true` (the default) and restrict filesystem access to the `.cookie` file. - Place a reverse proxy in front of the RPC port that rejects `z_listunifiedreceivers` calls with untrusted address parameters. ### Impact A single authenticated RPC request terminates the `zebrad` process. The attack is repeatable on restart (the same request triggers the same abort), allowing an attacker to keep the node down indefinitely until the request is filtered upstream. Operators using `lightwalletd` backends, Zaino indexers, or mining pool infrastructure that forward RPC calls to `zebrad` may be exposed if the forwarding path passes through `z_listunifiedreceivers`. ### Credit Reported by `@robustfengbin` via a private GitHub Security Advisory submission.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | zebra-rpc (crates.io) | before 8.0.0 | 8.0.0 | Patch available | GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3 |
| — | zebrad (crates.io) | before 4.5.0 | 4.5.0 | Patch available | GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3 |
- zebra-rpc (crates.io) Vendor— Affected before 8.0.0 Fixed in 8.0.0 Patch available GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3
- zebrad (crates.io) Vendor— Affected before 4.5.0 Fixed in 4.5.0 Patch available GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3 zebra-rpc (crates.io) Fixed in 8.0.0 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3 zebrad (crates.io) Fixed in 4.5.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-03 Threatist record created from GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3
References
Other 4
- https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/security/advisories/GHSA-c8w6-x74f-vmg3
- https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra
- https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/blob/d4cd662c716382f6397d2a730148025a1ca79fec/Cargo.toml#L305
- https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/blob/d4cd662c716382f6397d2a730148025a1ca79fec/zebra-rpc/src/methods.rs#L2867-L2914
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences