Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A vulnerable CometBFT node can be made to retain repeated copies of the same transaction in memory. Over time, this can fill the mempool with stuck entries and threaten node availability. The issue is fixed in CometBFT v0.34.29 and v0.37.2.
Executive priority
Treat this as high priority for public or internet-adjacent CometBFT nodes because it can affect service availability without authentication. Upgrade exposed nodes first, then address internal nodes according to operational importance.
Technical view
The mempool list and map can become inconsistent in affected versions, allowing duplicate transaction entries that cannot all be removed after commit. Repetition can leave many transactions stuck until node restart, creating a denial-of-service risk. CVSS is 8.2 with high availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely for CometBFT deployments running versions earlier than 0.34.29, or v0.37.0 through v0.37.1, especially where transaction submission RPCs are exposed to untrusted networks.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. The vendor advisory describes a remotely reachable, unauthenticated availability attack path when transaction submission RPCs are exposed.
Researcher notes
The core condition is desynchronization between mempool list and map state. The advisory names affected ranges and fixed releases, plus cache_size and RPC exposure workarounds. Evidence does not support claiming confidentiality impact or active exploitation.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade CometBFT to v0.34.29 or v0.37.2 as applicable.
- Increase cache_size in config.toml where immediate upgrade is delayed.
- Avoid exposing transaction submission RPCs to untrusted networks.
- Use node restart only as temporary recovery for stuck mempool entries.
- Review vendor guidance before relying on compensating controls.
Validation and detection
- Inventory CometBFT versions across validators, full nodes, and packaged services.
- Check whether transaction submission RPC endpoints are reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review config.toml cache_size values against vendor guidance.
- Monitor mempool growth, duplicate transaction symptoms, and restart-only recovery events.
- Confirm upgraded nodes report fixed CometBFT versions.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-34451 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.2 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H3.94.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.2HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/cometbft/cometbft/security/advisories/GHSA-w24w-wp77-qffmCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/cometbft/cometbft/pull/890CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/pull/2778CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
