CVE-2017-20154 in Phoenixcoin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/31/2022
A vulnerability was found in ghostlander Phoenixcoin. It has been classified as problematic. Affected is the function CTxMemPool::accept of the file src/main.cpp. The manipulation leads to denial of service. Upgrading to version 0.6.6.1-pxc is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is 987dd68f71a7d8276cef3b6c3d578fd4845b5699. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-217068.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-20154 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the ghostlander Phoenixcoin implementation that specifically targets the transaction memory pool functionality. This issue resides within the CTxMemPool::accept function located in the src/main.cpp file, making it a core component of the cryptocurrency's transaction handling mechanism. The vulnerability has been classified with a problematic severity rating by the security community, indicating its potential to disrupt normal network operations and compromise service availability. The flaw manifests when malicious actors exploit the transaction acceptance logic to cause system instability or complete service interruption, directly impacting the network's reliability and user experience.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of transaction processing within the memory pool, where the CTxMemPool::accept function fails to properly validate incoming transactions before accepting them into the processing queue. This improper validation allows attackers to submit specially crafted transactions that trigger unexpected behavior in the memory pool management system, ultimately leading to denial of service conditions that can affect network participants and miners. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple transaction processing failures as it can potentially cause the entire node to become unresponsive or crash, thereby affecting the broader cryptocurrency network's operational integrity. This weakness aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes denial of service vulnerabilities that result from improper resource management and insufficient input validation in system components.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are significant for Phoenixcoin network participants, as denial of service attacks can disrupt transaction processing, mining operations, and overall network consensus mechanisms. Network nodes that fail to properly handle transaction acceptance may experience complete service interruption, forcing users to seek alternative connections or potentially leading to network fragmentation. The vulnerability affects not only individual user wallets but also mining pools and network infrastructure that rely on stable transaction processing capabilities. Organizations and individuals operating Phoenixcoin nodes must address this issue immediately to prevent potential exploitation that could result in financial loss or operational disruption. The vulnerability's presence in the core transaction handling code means that any node running an affected version becomes a potential target for coordinated denial of service attacks that could propagate across the network.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to version 0.6.6.1-pxc, which includes the specific patch identified by the commit hash 987dd68f71a7d8276cef3b6c3d578fd4845b5699. This upgrade addresses the root cause of the vulnerability by implementing proper transaction validation within the CTxMemPool::accept function, thereby preventing malicious transactions from causing memory pool instability. The patch mechanism represents a defensive measure that strengthens the transaction acceptance logic and ensures that all incoming transactions undergo appropriate validation checks before being admitted to the memory pool. Security practitioners should implement this upgrade as a priority, particularly for nodes that handle high volumes of transactions or serve as critical network infrastructure components. The upgrade process should be carefully coordinated to minimize network disruption while ensuring complete vulnerability remediation across all affected systems. This approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, which focuses on defensive measures against denial of service attacks by implementing proper system hardening and patch management procedures.