skip recipient parsing of the send tab pay to field while it shows the name of a selected paynym

Sparrow/Sparrow Wallet

8b9074e0 View source ↗

Public commit record

What the developer wrote

Authored by Craig Raw

50/100 · Thin

skip recipient parsing of the send tab pay to field while it shows the name of a selected paynym

✓ Specific, descriptive subject✓ Names a concrete action or component! No meaningful explanatory body

The short version

What changed, and why it matters

This commit fixes a UI bug in Sparrow Wallet's 'Send' tab. When a user selected a PayNym (a privacy-focused contact name), the wallet was still trying to parse that display name as if it were a Bitcoin address, payment code, or web address. This could trigger unnecessary network lookups, show confusing error dialogs, or in rare cases change the intended recipient. The fix simply skips all that parsing while the field is showing a PayNym name.

Recommended action

Review the fix in the context of the full recipient-selection flow to ensure no other state properties (e.g., silent payment address, DNS payment) need similar guards. Consider adding regression tests for PayNym selection and verifying the pay-to field is cleared or locked when a PayNym is active.

Security signals we found

UI state confusion between display name and parseable recipient

Unintended network resolution triggered by display text

Potential recipient misparsing leading to wrong transaction destination

No input sanitization or state guard before parsing

Technical analysis

Evidence from the diff

PaymentController’s recipient text-change listener now wraps BitcoinURI, DNS payment HRN, BIP47 payment code, silent payment address, and plain address parsing inside an if(payNymProperty.get() == null) guard. Previously these parsers ran unconditionally on every change, including when the pay-to field contained the human-readable name of a selected paynym. The patch prevents misinterpretation of the paynym display name as a URI/address/code, avoiding spurious resolution attempts, validation errors, and possible unintended recipient selection.

Changed components

src/main/java/com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/wallet/PaymentController.javaSend tab pay-to field recipient parsingPayNym selection handling

Inspect captured patch +81 / −79

### src/main/java/com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/wallet/PaymentController.java
@@ -192,99 +192,101 @@ public void changed(ObservableValue<? extends String> observable, String oldValu
                 payjoinURIProperty.set(null);
             }
 
-            try {
-                BitcoinURI bitcoinURI = new BitcoinURI(newValue);
-                Platform.runLater(() -> updateFromURI(bitcoinURI));
-                return;
-            } catch(Exception e) {
-                //ignore, not a URI
-            }
-
-            Optional<String> optDnsPaymentHrn = DnsPayment.getHrn(newValue);
-            if(optDnsPaymentHrn.isPresent()) {
-                String dnsPaymentHrn = optDnsPaymentHrn.get();
-                DnsPayment cachedDnsPayment = DnsPaymentCache.getDnsPayment(dnsPaymentHrn);
-                if(cachedDnsPayment != null) {
-                    setDnsPayment(cachedDnsPayment);
+            if(payNymProperty.get() == null) {
+                try {
+                    BitcoinURI bitcoinURI = new BitcoinURI(newValue);
+                    Platform.runLater(() -> updateFromURI(bitcoinURI));
                     return;
+                } catch(Exception e) {
+                    //ignore, not a URI
                 }
 
-                if(Config.get().hasServer() && !AppServices.isConnected() && !AppServices.isConnecting()) {
-                    if(Config.get().getConnectToResolve() == null || Config.get().getConnectToResolve() == Boolean.FALSE) {
-                        Platform.runLater(() -> {
-                            ConfirmationAlert confirmationAlert = new ConfirmationAlert("Connect to resolve?", "You are currently offline. Connect to resolve the address?", ButtonType.NO, ButtonType.YES);
-                            Optional<ButtonType> optType = confirmationAlert.showAndWait();
-                            if(confirmationAlert.isDontAskAgain() && optType.isPresent()) {
-                                Config.get().setConnectToResolve(optType.get() == ButtonType.YES);
-                            }
-                            if(optType.isPresent() && optType.get() == ButtonType.YES) {
-                                EventManager.get().post(new RequestConnectEvent());
-                            }
-                        });
-                    } else {
-                        Platform.runLater(() -> EventManager.get().post(new RequestConnectEvent()));
+                Optional<String> optDnsPaymentHrn = DnsPayment.getHrn(newValue);
+                if(optDnsPaymentHrn.isPresent()) {
+                    String dnsPaymentHrn = optDnsPaymentHrn.get();
+                    DnsPayment cachedDnsPayment = DnsPaymentCache.getDnsPayment(dnsPaymentHrn);
+                    if(cachedDnsPayment != null) {
+                        setDnsPayment(cachedDnsPayment);
+                        return;
                     }
-                    return;
-                }
 
-                DnsPaymentService dnsPaymentService = new DnsPaymentService(dnsPaymentHrn);
-                dnsPaymentService.setOnSucceeded(_ -> {
-                    if(isCurrentHrn(dnsPaymentHrn)) {
-                        dnsPaymentService.getValue().ifPresent(dnsPayment -> setDnsPayment(dnsPayment));
-                    }
-                });
-                dnsPaymentService.setOnFailed(failEvent -> {
-                    Throwable exception = failEvent.getSource().getException();
-                    if(isCurrentHrn(dnsPaymentHrn) && exception != null && !(exception.getCause() instanceof TimeoutException)) {
-                        AppServices.showErrorDialog("Validation failed for " + dnsPaymentHrn, Throwables.getRootCause(exception).getMessage());
+                    if(Config.get().hasServer() && !AppServices.isConnected() && !AppServices.isConnecting()) {
+                        if(Config.get().getConnectToResolve() == null || Config.get().getConnectToResolve() == Boolean.FALSE) {
+                            Platform.runLater(() -> {
+                                ConfirmationAlert confirmationAlert = new ConfirmationAlert("Connect to resolve?", "You are currently offline. Connect to resolve the address?", ButtonType.NO, ButtonType.YES);
+                                Optional<ButtonType> optType = confirmationAlert.showAndWait();
+                                if(confirmationAlert.isDontAskAgain() && optType.isPresent()) {
+                                    Config.get().setConnectToResolve(optType.get() == ButtonType.YES);
+                                }
+                                if(optType.isPresent() && optType.get() == ButtonType.YES) {
+                                    EventManager.get().post(new RequestConnectEvent());
+                                }
+                            });
+                        } else {
+                            Platform.runLater(() -> EventManager.get().post(new RequestConnectEvent()));
+                        }
+                        return;
                     }
-                });
-                dnsPaymentService.start();
-                return;
-            }
 
-            if(sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().hasPaymentCode()) {
-                try {
-                    PaymentCode paymentCode = new PaymentCode(newValue);
-                    Wallet recipientBip47Wallet = sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getChildWallet(paymentCode, sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getScriptType());
-                    if(recipientBip47Wallet == null && sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getScriptType() != ScriptType.P2PKH) {
-                        recipientBip47Wallet = sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getChildWallet(paymentCode, ScriptType.P2PKH);
-                    }
+                    DnsPaymentService dnsPaymentService = new DnsPaymentService(dnsPaymentHrn);
+                    dnsPaymentService.setOnSucceeded(_ -> {
+                        if(isCurrentHrn(dnsPaymentHrn)) {
+                            dnsPaymentService.getValue().ifPresent(dnsPayment -> setDnsPayment(dnsPayment));
+                        }
+                    });
+                    dnsPaymentService.setOnFailed(failEvent -> {
+                        Throwable exception = failEvent.getSource().getException();
+                        if(isCurrentHrn(dnsPaymentHrn) && exception != null && !(exception.getCause() instanceof TimeoutException)) {
+                            AppServices.showErrorDialog("Validation failed for " + dnsPaymentHrn, Throwables.getRootCause(exception).getMessage());
+                        }
+                    });
+                    dnsPaymentService.start();
+                    return;
+                }
 
-                    if(recipientBip47Wallet != null && hasNotificationTransaction(paymentCode)) {
-                        PayNym payNym = PayNym.fromWallet(recipientBip47Wallet);
-                        Platform.runLater(() -> setPayNym(payNym));
-                    } else if(!paymentCode.equals(sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getPaymentCode())) {
-                        ButtonType previewType = new ButtonType("Preview Transaction", ButtonBar.ButtonData.YES);
-                        Optional<ButtonType> optButton = AppServices.showAlertDialog("Send notification transaction?", "This payment code is not yet linked with a notification transaction. Send a notification transaction?", Alert.AlertType.CONFIRMATION, ButtonType.CANCEL, previewType);
-                        if(optButton.isPresent() && optButton.get() == previewType) {
-                            Payment payment = new Payment(paymentCode.getNotificationAddress(), "Link " + paymentCode.toAbbreviatedString(), MINIMUM_P2PKH_OUTPUT_SATS, false);
-                            Platform.runLater(() -> EventManager.get().post(new SpendUtxoEvent(sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet(), List.of(payment), List.of(new byte[80]), paymentCode)));
-                        } else {
-                            Platform.runLater(() -> address.setText(""));
+                if(sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().hasPaymentCode()) {
+                    try {
+                        PaymentCode paymentCode = new PaymentCode(newValue);
+                        Wallet recipientBip47Wallet = sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getChildWallet(paymentCode, sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getScriptType());
+                        if(recipientBip47Wallet == null && sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getScriptType() != ScriptType.P2PKH) {
+                            recipientBip47Wallet = sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getChildWallet(paymentCode, ScriptType.P2PKH);
                         }
+
+                        if(recipientBip47Wallet != null && hasNotificationTransaction(paymentCode)) {
+                            PayNym payNym = PayNym.fromWallet(recipientBip47Wallet);
+                            Platform.runLater(() -> setPayNym(payNym));
+                        } else if(!paymentCode.equals(sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet().getPaymentCode())) {
+                            ButtonType previewType = new ButtonType("Preview Transaction", ButtonBar.ButtonData.YES);
+                            Optional<ButtonType> optButton = AppServices.showAlertDialog("Send notification transaction?", "This payment code is not yet linked with a notification transaction. Send a notification transaction?", Alert.AlertType.CONFIRMATION, ButtonType.CANCEL, previewType);
+                            if(optButton.isPresent() && optButton.get() == previewType) {
+                                Payment payment = new Payment(paymentCode.getNotificationAddress(), "Link " + paymentCode.toAbbreviatedString(), MINIMUM_P2PKH_OUTPUT_SATS, false);
+                                Platform.runLater(() -> EventManager.get().post(new SpendUtxoEvent(sendController.getWalletForm().getWallet(), List.of(payment), List.of(new byte[80]), paymentCode)));
+                            } else {
+                                Platform.runLater(() -> address.setText(""));
+                            }
+                        }
+                    } catch(Exception e) {
+                        //ignore, not a payment code
                     }
-                } catch(Exception e) {
-                    //ignore, not a payment code
                 }
-            }
 
-            try {
-                SilentPaymentAddress silentPaymentAddress = SilentPaymentAddress.from(newValue);
-                setSilentPaymentAddress(silentPaymentAddress);
-            } catch(Exception e) {
-                //ignore, not a silent payment address
-            }
+                try {
+                    SilentPaymentAddress silentPaymentAddress = SilentPaymentAddress.from(newValue);
+                    setSilentPaymentAddress(silentPaymentAddress);
+                } catch(Exception e) {
+                    //ignore, not a silent payment address
+                }
 
-            try {
-                Address toAddress = Address.fromString(newValue);
-                WalletNode walletNode = sendController.getWalletNode(toAddress);
-                if(walletNode != null) {
-                    consolidationNodeProperty.set(walletNode);
+                try {
+                    Address toAddress = Address.fromString(newValue);
+                    WalletNode walletNode = sendController.getWalletNode(toAddress);
+                    if(walletNode != null) {
+                        consolidationNodeProperty.set(walletNode);
+                    }
+                    label.requestFocus();
+                } catch(Exception e) {
+                    //ignore, not an address
                 }
-                label.requestFocus();
-            } catch(Exception e) {
-                //ignore, not an address
             }
 
             revalidateAmount();

Risk score

Why this scored 24/100

Our methodology →

Potential impact 4/30

Exploitability 3/25

Stealth signal 5/15

Affected reach 3/15

Confidence 6/10

Evidence quality 3/5

Human-validated context

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What the developer wrote

What changed, and why it matters

Security signals we found

Evidence from the diff

Changed components

Why this scored 24/100

Community notes

Related watches

ignore a paynym search result that arrives after the search has changed, and stop enter replacing a pasted payment code search with its abbreviated display

prevent a locked wallet from signing a message, opening the dialog in verify only mode

revalidate the send amount when payments are set from a uri opened externally or a spend event so insufficient and dust warnings show