hyperledger/fabric · error

could not convert message to signedData: %s

Error message

could not convert message to signedData: %s

What it means

SigFilter.Apply wraps a failure of protoutil.EnvelopeAsSignedData: the broadcast message envelope could not be decomposed into signature data (nil/short payload, missing signature or data bytes). Without signed data the Writers/Writers-maintenance policy cannot be evaluated, so the message is rejected.

Source

Thrown at orderer/common/msgprocessor/sigfilter.go:58

// maintenancePolicyName is applied when Orderer/ConsensusType.State = MAINTENANCE
func NewSigFilter(normalPolicyName, maintenancePolicyName string, support SigFilterSupport) *SigFilter {
	return &SigFilter{
		normalPolicyName:      normalPolicyName,
		maintenancePolicyName: maintenancePolicyName,
		support:               support,
	}
}

// Apply applies the policy given, resulting in Reject or Forward, never Accept
func (sf *SigFilter) Apply(message *cb.Envelope) error {
	ordererConf, ok := sf.support.OrdererConfig()
	if !ok {
		logger.Panic("Programming error: orderer config not found")
	}

	signedData, err := protoutil.EnvelopeAsSignedData(message)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("could not convert message to signedData: %s", err)
	}

	// In maintenance mode, we typically require the signature of /Channel/Orderer/Writers.
	// This will filter out configuration changes that are not related to consensus-type migration
	// (e.g on /Channel/Application), and will block Deliver requests from peers (which are normally /Channel/Readers).
	policyName := sf.normalPolicyName
	if ordererConf.ConsensusState() == orderer.ConsensusType_STATE_MAINTENANCE {
		policyName = sf.maintenancePolicyName
	}

	policy, ok := sf.support.PolicyManager().GetPolicy(policyName)
	if !ok {
		return fmt.Errorf("could not find policy %s", policyName)
	}

	err = policy.EvaluateSignedData(signedData)
	if err != nil {
		logger.Warnw("SigFilter evaluation failed", "error", err.Error(), "ConsensusState", ordererConf.ConsensusState(), "policyName", policyName, "signingIdentity", protoutil.LogMessageForSerializedIdentities(signedData))

View on GitHub (pinned to 2736b63f8f)

Solutions

1. Fix the client to broadcast a well-formed signed envelope
2. Verify the envelope was not truncated before reaching the orderer

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at orderer/common/msgprocessor/sigfilter.go:58 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of hyperledger/fabric@2736b63f8f (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/715e67f85f7f66c6. Report an issue: GitHub.