{"record":{"id":"bc9c11334eb68012","repo":"hyperledger/fabric","slug":"error-marshaling-signatureheader-proto-marshal-c","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"error marshaling SignatureHeader: proto: Marshal called with nil","messagePattern":"error marshaling SignatureHeader: proto: Marshal called with nil","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"protoutil/proputils.go","lineNumber":192,"sourceCode":"\t\treturn nil, errors.New(\"error marshaling ProposalResponse: proto: Marshal called with nil\")\n\t}\n\trespBytes, err := proto.Marshal(pr)\n\treturn respBytes, errors.Wrap(err, \"error marshaling ProposalResponse\")\n}\n\n// GetBytesHeader get the bytes of Header from the message\nfunc GetBytesHeader(hdr *common.Header) ([]byte, error) {\n\tif hdr == nil {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.New(\"error marshaling Header: proto: Marshal called with nil\")\n\t}\n\tbytes, err := proto.Marshal(hdr)\n\treturn bytes, errors.Wrap(err, \"error marshaling Header\")\n}\n\n// GetBytesSignatureHeader get the bytes of SignatureHeader from the message\nfunc GetBytesSignatureHeader(hdr *common.SignatureHeader) ([]byte, error) {\n\tif hdr == nil {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.New(\"error marshaling SignatureHeader: proto: Marshal called with nil\")\n\t}\n\tbytes, err := proto.Marshal(hdr)\n\treturn bytes, errors.Wrap(err, \"error marshaling SignatureHeader\")\n}\n\n// GetBytesTransaction get the bytes of Transaction from the message\nfunc GetBytesTransaction(tx *peer.Transaction) ([]byte, error) {\n\tif tx == nil {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.New(\"error marshaling Transaction: proto: Marshal called with nil\")\n\t}\n\tbytes, err := proto.Marshal(tx)\n\treturn bytes, errors.Wrap(err, \"error unmarshalling Transaction\")\n}\n\n// GetBytesPayload get the bytes of Payload from the message\nfunc GetBytesPayload(payl *common.Payload) ([]byte, error) {\n\tif payl == nil {\n\t\treturn nil, errors.New(\"error marshaling Payload: proto: Marshal called with nil\")","sourceCodeStart":174,"sourceCodeEnd":210,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric/blob/2736b63f8fd5932511d56fe68b7039d15977f7f6/protoutil/proputils.go#L174-L210","documentation":"GetBytesSignatureHeader wraps proto.Marshal failures with 'error marshaling SignatureHeader'. The message 'proto: Marshal called with nil' means the *common.SignatureHeader pointer passed in was nil (protobuf cannot serialize a nil message). This family of helpers guards against nil and returns this explicit error instead of panicking inside proto.Marshal.","triggerScenarios":"Calling protoutil.GetBytesSignatureHeader(nil), or passing a struct field that is a nil *common.SignatureHeader, e.g. when a Proposal header was never initialized in test or proposal-construction code paths like TestProposal.","commonSituations":"Building proposals/envelopes manually in SDK or test code where the SignatureHeader was not populated because creator identity, nonce, or txid generation was skipped; refactorings that leave header fields unset.","solutions":["Check the SignatureHeader pointer for nil before calling GetBytesSignatureHeader and populate it (Creator, Nonce, Txid) via protoutil.NewSignatureHeader or SignOrPanic helpers","Trace back to where the header was created; ensure Proposal.Header is unmarshaled with UnmarshalSignatureHeader before use","Log the caller path to find which proposal-construction step was skipped"],"exampleFix":"// before\nsigHdrBytes, err := protoutil.GetBytesSignatureHeader(prop.Header.SignatureHeader) // nil if Header unset\n// after\nif prop.Header == nil || prop.Header.SignatureHeader == nil {\n\treturn nil, errors.New(\"proposal header/signature header not initialized\")\n}\nsigHdrBytes, err := protoutil.GetBytesSignatureHeader(prop.Header.SignatureHeader)","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"func validSigHdr(h *common.SignatureHeader) error {\n\tif h == nil {\n\t\treturn errors.New(\"SignatureHeader is nil\")\n\t}\n\treturn nil\n}","typeGuard":"func hasSignatureHeader(p *common.Payload) bool {\n\treturn p != nil && p.Header != nil && p.Header.SignatureHeader != nil\n}","tryCatchPattern":"hdrBytes, err := protoutil.GetBytesSignatureHeader(hdr)\nif err != nil {\n\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"signature header serialization failed: %w\", err)\n}","preventionTips":["Always build SignatureHeader via protoutil.NewSignatureHeader or similar factory helpers","Nil-check nested header fields before serializing proposal sub-messages","Run unit tests that exercise the full proposal-creation path, not just marshal helpers"],"tags":["hyperledger-fabric","protobuf","nil-pointer","serialization"],"backgroundTag":"proto-marshal-nil-message","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"}