CVE-2026-35468: CWE-252: Unchecked Return Value in nimiq core-rs-albatross
nimiq/core-rs-albatross is a Rust implementation of the Nimiq Proof-of-Stake protocol based on the Albatross consensus algorithm. Prior to version 1.3.0, two peer-facing consensus request handlers assume that the history index is always available and call blockchain.history_store.history_index().unwrap() directly. That assumption is false by construction. HistoryStoreProxy::history_index() explicitly returns None for the valid HistoryStoreProxy::WithoutIndex state. when a full node is syncing or otherwise running without the history index, a remote peer can send RequestTransactionsProof or RequestTransactionReceiptsByAddress and trigger an Option::unwrap() panic on the request path. This issue has been patched in version 1.3.0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability exists because two peer-facing consensus request handlers in nimiq/core-rs-albatross versions before 1.3.0 call blockchain.history_store.history_index().unwrap() without checking if the history index is present. The HistoryStoreProxy::history_index() method can return None legitimately when the node is syncing or running without the history index. Remote peers can exploit this by sending RequestTransactionsProof or RequestTransactionReceiptsByAddress messages, causing an Option::unwrap() panic and crashing the request handler. This denial of service vulnerability is fixed in version 1.3.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker can cause a denial of service by sending crafted consensus requests to a vulnerable node, triggering a panic and crashing the request handler. This disrupts normal node operation but does not impact confidentiality or integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to nimiq/core-rs-albatross version 1.3.0 or later, where this issue is patched. Patch status is not explicitly stated in vendor advisories but the description confirms the fix is included in version 1.3.0. Until upgraded, nodes may be vulnerable to denial of service via crafted peer requests.
CVE-2026-35468: CWE-252: Unchecked Return Value in nimiq core-rs-albatross
Description
nimiq/core-rs-albatross is a Rust implementation of the Nimiq Proof-of-Stake protocol based on the Albatross consensus algorithm. Prior to version 1.3.0, two peer-facing consensus request handlers assume that the history index is always available and call blockchain.history_store.history_index().unwrap() directly. That assumption is false by construction. HistoryStoreProxy::history_index() explicitly returns None for the valid HistoryStoreProxy::WithoutIndex state. when a full node is syncing or otherwise running without the history index, a remote peer can send RequestTransactionsProof or RequestTransactionReceiptsByAddress and trigger an Option::unwrap() panic on the request path. This issue has been patched in version 1.3.0.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability exists because two peer-facing consensus request handlers in nimiq/core-rs-albatross versions before 1.3.0 call blockchain.history_store.history_index().unwrap() without checking if the history index is present. The HistoryStoreProxy::history_index() method can return None legitimately when the node is syncing or running without the history index. Remote peers can exploit this by sending RequestTransactionsProof or RequestTransactionReceiptsByAddress messages, causing an Option::unwrap() panic and crashing the request handler. This denial of service vulnerability is fixed in version 1.3.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker can cause a denial of service by sending crafted consensus requests to a vulnerable node, triggering a panic and crashing the request handler. This disrupts normal node operation but does not impact confidentiality or integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to nimiq/core-rs-albatross version 1.3.0 or later, where this issue is patched. Patch status is not explicitly stated in vendor advisories but the description confirms the fix is included in version 1.3.0. Until upgraded, nodes may be vulnerable to denial of service via crafted peer requests.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-02T20:49:44.452Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 69d03f860a160ebd92619e21
Added to database: 4/3/2026, 10:30:30 PM
Last enriched: 4/11/2026, 9:22:41 AM
Last updated: 5/20/2026, 8:51:27 PM
Views: 69
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