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Informational 23 Bitcoin

Generate `DNSSECError` messages when DNSSEC resolution fails

Public commit record

What the developer wrote

Authored by Matt Corallo

81/100 · Strong
Generate `DNSSECError` messages when DNSSEC resolution fails

https://github.com/lightning/blips/pull/71 updated the DNSSEC
resolution bLIP to include an explicit error message when DNS(SEC)
resolution was attempted but failed, allowing for faster fallback
to LN-Address (for clients that do) and faster payment failure.

Here we add service-side support for generating the error messages,
informing requesters that their resolutions have failed.

Largely written by an LLM
✓ Specific, descriptive subject✓ Names a concrete action or component✓ Provides detailed explanatory context✓ Links an issue, advisory, or supporting reference
The short version

What changed, and why it matters

This commit adds a new error-reporting path in a Lightning DNS resolver. Previously, if a DNSSEC proof lookup failed, the resolver simply stayed silent. Now it sends back an explicit 'DNSSECError' message so the requester knows the lookup failed and can fall back or fail the payment faster. The change is a feature addition with a small, well-scoped security benefit: it removes a silent-failure mode that could cause payment delays or user confusion. There is no evidence of a vulnerability being fixed, and no attacker-controlled behavior is introduced.

Recommended action

No immediate security action required. Reviewers should verify that definitely_unresolvable is only set for authenticated NXDOMAIN cases and that other resolver failures (e.g., network timeouts, unsupported DNSSEC) do not incorrectly signal permanent unresolvability. Consider whether error messages should include additional context for debugging without leaking sensitive resolver state.

Security signals we found

01

Eliminates silent failure on DNSSEC proof resolution errors

02

Adds authenticated NXDOMAIN signaling to prevent indefinite fallback waits

03

No new unsafe code, unwraps, or cryptographic operations introduced

04

Test coverage added for the new error path

Risk score

Why this scored 23/100

Our methodology →
Potential impact 3/30
Exploitability 2/25
Stealth signal 2/15
Affected reach 4/15
Confidence 8/10
Evidence quality 4/5
Human-validated context

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