CVE-2024-45244 in Fabric
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2024
Hyperledger Fabric through 2.5.9 does not verify that a request has a timestamp within the expected time window.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-45244 affects Hyperledger Fabric versions up to 2.5.9 and represents a critical security flaw in the blockchain platform's timestamp validation mechanism. This issue resides in the consensus and transaction processing layers where the system fails to properly validate timestamp parameters within incoming requests, creating a window for potential malicious activity. The absence of time window validation allows adversaries to manipulate transaction timestamps, potentially enabling replay attacks or temporal manipulation of blockchain records. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and authenticity guarantees that blockchain networks are designed to provide, undermining fundamental security properties such as non-repudiation and temporal consistency. The flaw is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Hyperledger Fabric is deployed for critical financial or regulatory compliance scenarios, as it could enable attackers to alter transaction timelines and potentially bypass time-based access controls or audit trails.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability stems from the failure to implement proper timestamp validation logic within the Fabric network's peer and orderer components. The system accepts requests without verifying that the timestamps fall within an acceptable time range relative to the current network time, typically defined by configurable tolerance windows. This allows for requests with timestamps that are either significantly in the past or future to be processed without rejection. The implementation lacks robust time synchronization checks and does not enforce cryptographic timestamp validation mechanisms that would normally be expected in secure distributed systems. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the validation of time-related parameters, specifically CWE-605, which addresses the use of non-unique or untrusted time values in security-critical contexts. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to exploit temporal inconsistencies in the network's transaction ordering and processing mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple timestamp manipulation, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors that compromise the entire blockchain network's security posture. Attackers could potentially perform replay attacks by submitting old transactions with valid signatures but outdated timestamps, bypassing time-based validation controls that should prevent such operations. The vulnerability also enables temporal manipulation attacks where malicious actors could attempt to influence consensus mechanisms by submitting transactions with manipulated timestamps, potentially affecting block ordering and network stability. In environments where time-sensitive operations or compliance requirements exist, this flaw could result in regulatory violations or audit failures. The attack surface is particularly broad since timestamps are fundamental to many blockchain operations including transaction validation, block creation, and consensus protocol execution. Network participants may experience disruption in transaction processing, increased risk of double-spending, and potential loss of trust in the network's temporal integrity, as outlined in ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential harvesting and T1592.004 for reconnaissance through network discovery.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-45244 should focus on implementing comprehensive timestamp validation mechanisms across all Fabric components. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Hyperledger Fabric 2.5.10 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed through enhanced timestamp validation logic. Network administrators must configure appropriate time synchronization protocols including NTP or PTP implementations to ensure consistent network time across all peer and orderer nodes. The system should enforce strict timestamp tolerance windows with configurable parameters that align with the network's operational requirements and security policies. Security monitoring should include detection of anomalous timestamp patterns and irregularities in transaction timing. Additional controls may include implementing cryptographic timestamping mechanisms, enforcing network time validation checks, and deploying intrusion detection systems capable of identifying timestamp manipulation attempts. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their existing Fabric deployments to identify any potential exploitation of this vulnerability and establish incident response procedures for timestamp-related security events. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be implemented to maintain protection against similar vulnerabilities in the future.