{"record":{"id":"0b0dbdfe8b66ed14","repo":"hyperledger/fabric","slug":"block-metadata-is-either-missing-or-contains-too-f","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"block metadata is either missing or contains too few entries","messagePattern":"block metadata is either missing or contains too few entries","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"orderer/consensus/smartbft/verifier.go","lineNumber":270,"sourceCode":"\tif err != nil {\n\t\treturn err\n\t}\n\tdataHashString := hex.EncodeToString(block.Header.DataHash)\n\n\tactualHashOfData := hex.EncodeToString(dataHash)\n\tif dataHashString != actualHashOfData {\n\t\treturn errors.Errorf(\"data hash is %s but expected %s\", dataHashString, actualHashOfData)\n\t}\n\treturn nil\n}\n\nfunc (v *Verifier) verifyBlockDataAndMetadata(block *cb.Block, metadata []byte) ([]types.RequestInfo, error) {\n\tif block.Data == nil || len(block.Data.Data) == 0 {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.New(\"empty block data\")\n\t}\n\n\tif block.Metadata == nil || len(block.Metadata.Metadata) < len(cb.BlockMetadataIndex_name) {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.New(\"block metadata is either missing or contains too few entries\")\n\t}\n\n\tsignatureMetadata, err := protoutil.GetMetadataFromBlock(block, cb.BlockMetadataIndex_SIGNATURES)\n\tif err != nil {\n\t\treturn nil, err\n\t}\n\tordererMetadataFromSignature := &cb.OrdererBlockMetadata{}\n\tif err := proto.Unmarshal(signatureMetadata.Value, ordererMetadataFromSignature); err != nil {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.Wrap(err, \"failed unmarshaling OrdererBlockMetadata\")\n\t}\n\n\t// Ensure the view metadata in the block signature and in the proposal are the same\n\n\tmetadataInBlock := &smartbftprotos.ViewMetadata{}\n\tif err := proto.Unmarshal(ordererMetadataFromSignature.ConsenterMetadata, metadataInBlock); err != nil {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.Wrap(err, \"failed unmarshaling smartbft metadata from block\")\n\t}\n","sourceCodeStart":252,"sourceCodeEnd":288,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric/blob/2736b63f8fd5932511d56fe68b7039d15977f7f6/orderer/consensus/smartbft/verifier.go#L252-L288","documentation":"The block must include block-level metadata with at least as many entries as cb.BlockMetadataIndex_name. If Metadata is nil or too short, the verifier cannot read the SIGNATURES/ORDERER metadata needed for consensus verification, so the proposal is rejected.","triggerScenarios":"VerifyProposal gets a block where block.Metadata is nil or len(block.Metadata.Metadata) < len(cb.BlockMetadataIndex_name), i.e. the block was constructed without the standard metadata slots (SIGNATURES, LAST_CONFIG, etc.).","commonSituations":"A leader assembling blocks without initializing metadata array; a custom/older block builder writing fewer metadata entries; deserialized/corrupted proposal missing metadata; mixing block formats from different fabric versions.","solutions":["Ensure block assembly initializes block.Metadata with entries up to and including BlockMetadataIndex_SIGNATURES","Regenerate the proposal using the current fabric protoutil helpers","Check for version drift between nodes producing and verifying blocks","Validate block structure locally before submitting to VerifyProposal"],"exampleFix":"// before\nblock.Metadata = nil\n// after\nblock.Metadata = &cb.BlockMetadata{Metadata: make([][]byte, int(cb.BlockMetadataIndex_SIGNATURES)+1)}","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"if block.Metadata == nil || len(block.Metadata.Metadata) < int(cb.BlockMetadataIndex_SIGNATURES)+1 {\n    return errors.New(\"block metadata missing or too short\")\n}","typeGuard":"func hasSufficientMetadata(b *cb.Block) bool {\n    return b.Metadata != nil && len(b.Metadata.Metadata) >= len(cb.BlockMetadataIndex_name)\n}","tryCatchPattern":"if _, err := verifier.VerifyProposal(...); err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"metadata is either missing\") {\n    logger.Warn(\"proposal built without block metadata; discarding\")\n}","preventionTips":["Initialize metadata array up to BlockMetadataIndex_SIGNATURES during assembly","Use fabric protoutil helpers instead of hand-built blocks","Keep block-construction code version-aligned across nodes","Pre-validate block shape before calling VerifyProposal"],"tags":["smartbft","fabric","block-metadata","proposal"],"backgroundTag":"missing-block-metadata","analyzedSha":"2736b63f8fd5932511d56fe68b7039d15977f7f6","analyzedAt":"2026-09-04T08:52:36.465Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-04T08:52:36.465Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-08T10:18:20.063Z"}