hyperledger/fabric · error

plugin with name %s wasn't found

Error message

plugin with name %s wasn't found

What it means

The endorser was asked to endorse with a plugin whose factory is not registered. Plugins are registered by name at peer startup from core.yaml's handlers config; if the name in the proposal/chaincode endorser mapping has no corresponding PluginFactory, this error is returned.

Source

Thrown at core/endorser/plugin_endorser.go:172

	endorsement3.SigningIdentityFetcher
	TransientStoreRetriever
}

// EndorseWithPlugin endorses the response with a plugin
func (pe *PluginEndorser) EndorseWithPlugin(pluginName, channelID string, prpBytes []byte, signedProposal *pb.SignedProposal) (*pb.Endorsement, []byte, error) {
	plugin, err := pe.getOrCreatePlugin(PluginName(pluginName), channelID)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, nil, errors.WithMessagef(err, "plugin with name %s could not be used", pluginName)
	}

	return plugin.Endorse(prpBytes, signedProposal)
}

// getOrCreatePlugin returns a plugin instance for the given plugin name and channel
func (pe *PluginEndorser) getOrCreatePlugin(plugin PluginName, channel string) (endorsement.Plugin, error) {
	pluginFactory := pe.PluginFactoryByName(plugin)
	if pluginFactory == nil {
		return nil, errors.Errorf("plugin with name %s wasn't found", plugin)
	}

	pluginsByChannel := pe.getOrCreatePluginChannelMapping(plugin, pluginFactory)
	return pluginsByChannel.createPluginIfAbsent(channel)
}

func (pe *PluginEndorser) getOrCreatePluginChannelMapping(plugin PluginName, pf endorsement.PluginFactory) *pluginsByChannel {
	pe.Lock()
	defer pe.Unlock()
	endorserChannelMapping, exists := pe.pluginChannelMapping[plugin]
	if !exists {
		endorserChannelMapping = &pluginsByChannel{
			pluginFactory:    pf,
			channels2Plugins: make(map[string]endorsement.Plugin),
			pe:               pe,
		}
		pe.pluginChannelMapping[plugin] = endorserChannelMapping
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 2736b63f8f)

Solutions

1. Check core.yaml handlers.endorsers: the plugin name in the chaincode lifecycle endorser mapping must exactly match a key configured there, and the library path must exist in the peer container
2. Deploy the custom plugin .so to the peer's handlers library directory and restart the peer
3. Verify peer logs at startup for plugin registration errors
4. If using built-in endorsement, ensure the chaincode definition references the standard ESCC ('ESCC') rather than a custom name

Example fix

// core.yaml before (typo)
handlers:
  endorsers:
    escc:
      library: /etc/hyperledger/fabric/plugin.so
// after
handlers:
  endorsers:
    MyEndorsementPlugin:
      library: /etc/hyperledger/fabric/plugin.so

// at peer deploy time, assert the configured endorser library exists
if (!fs.existsSync(handlersConfig.endorsers[name].library)) {
  throw new Error(`endorser library missing for plugin ${name}`);
}

try {
  await contract.submitTransaction(...);
} catch (e) {
  if (/plugin with name .* wasn't found/.test(e.message)) {
    // plugin not registered on this peer: check core.yaml handlers + library deployment
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: EndorseWithPlugin -> getOrCreatePlugin where pe.PluginFactoryByName(plugin) returns nil — the plugin name (e.g. 'ESCC', or a custom plugin name from core.yaml handlers.endorsers) is not in the registered factories map.

Common situations: Typo in core.yaml handlers.endorsers/endorsersLibrary mapping; custom endorsement plugin .so not deployed to the peer or path wrong; upgrading Fabric where a built-in plugin name changed; missing library file so registration silently skipped.

Related errors

• failed obtaining channel state
• transient store for channel %s was not initialized
• Empty policy element
• failed to initialize block verifier function
• block numbers not maintained in index

AI-assisted analysis of hyperledger/fabric@2736b63f8f (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/abd36ddb855ab80f. Report an issue: GitHub.