libp2p: Gossipsub StrictSign accepts attacker-signed messages as a victim RSA peer ID
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-86038 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | GitHub_M |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-09-17 16:18:16 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-09-17 18:17:12 UTC |
| Description | libp2p is a JavaScript implementation of the libp2p networking stack. From 15.0.0 until 16.0.5, @libp2p/gossipsub uses the default StrictSign policy in packages/gossipsub/src/utils/buildRawMessage.ts, where validateToRawMessage verifies a signature with attacker-controlled msg.key but skips binding that key to msg.from when the claimed author is an RSA peer ID that does not inline a public key. An unauthenticated attacker can place a victim RSA peer ID in msg.from, sign the message with the attacker's private key, and supply the attacker's public key in msg.key, causing the message to be accepted and propagated as authored by the victim. Applications that trust message.from for validators, authorization, accounting, moderation, reputation, or audit logging can process attacker-controlled data under false origin attribution. The issue is fixed in version 16.0.5. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.5 HIGH from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Problem Types: CWE-345 | CWE-347 | CWE-345 CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity | CWE-347 CWE-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
| 3.1 | CNA | DECLARED | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
NetworkAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
NoneIntegrity
HighAvailability
NoneCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Vendor Declared Affected Products
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/commit/cec2b1f349d130065e561349a0336a239528267f | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/pull/3569 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/releases/tag/gossipsub-v16.0.5 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/security/advisories/GHSA-c3gv-825q-fvmp | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.