Ensure that the "future timestamp" rule is correctly applied by block

template construction. fixes zcash#6960

Signed-off-by: Daira-Emma Hopwood <[email protected]>

Author: daira

src/miner.cpp

@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ int64_t UpdateTime(CBlockHeader* pblock, const Consensus::Params& consensusParam
         nNewTime = std::min(nNewTime, medianTimePast + MAX_FUTURE_BLOCK_TIME_MTP);
     }
 
+    // The timestamp of a given block template should not go backwards.
     if (nOldTime < nNewTime)
         pblock->nTime = nNewTime;
 
@@ -366,7 +367,11 @@ CBlockTemplate* BlockAssembler::CreateNewBlock(
     if (chainparams.MineBlocksOnDemand())
         pblock->nVersion = GetArg("-blockversion", pblock->nVersion);
 
-    pblock->nTime = GetTime();
+    // Setting nTime to 0 and then calling UpdateTime ensures that it is set to the
+    // nearest timestamp to the current time in the consensus-valid range (see #6960).
+    pblock->nTime = 0;
+    UpdateTime(pblock, chainparams.GetConsensus(), pindexPrev);
+
     const int64_t nMedianTimePast = pindexPrev->GetMedianTimePast();
     CCoinsViewCache view(pcoinsTip);
 

src/test/miner_tests.cpp

@@ -372,18 +372,44 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(CreateNewBlock_validity)
     // Stop here if we needed to mine more blocks.
     assert(nblocks == sizeof(blockinfo)/sizeof(*blockinfo));
 
+    auto nTime = pblocktemplate->block.nTime;
+    delete pblocktemplate;
+
     // Set the clock to be just ahead of the last "mined" block, to ensure we satisfy the
     // future timestamp soft fork rule.
-    auto curTime = GetTime();
-    OffsetClock::SetGlobal();
-    OffsetClock::Instance()->Set(std::chrono::seconds(-curTime + pblocktemplate->block.nTime));
+    FixedClock::SetGlobal();
+    FixedClock::Instance()->Set(std::chrono::seconds(nTime));
 
+    // Just to make sure we can still make simple blocks
+    BOOST_CHECK(pblocktemplate = BlockAssembler(chainparams).CreateNewBlock(scriptPubKey));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(pblocktemplate->block.nTime, nTime);
+
+    auto mtp = chainActive.Tip()->GetMedianTimePast();
     delete pblocktemplate;
+    auto minTime = mtp + 1;
+    auto maxTime = mtp + MAX_FUTURE_BLOCK_TIME_MTP;
 
-    // Just to make sure we can still make simple blocks
+    // Set the clock to be too far ahead of the MTP, violating the future timestamp rule.
+    FixedClock::Instance()->Set(std::chrono::seconds(maxTime + 1));
+
+    // This should succeed, and nTime should be clamped to the maximum consensus-valid value.
+    BOOST_CHECK(pblocktemplate = BlockAssembler(chainparams).CreateNewBlock(scriptPubKey));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(pblocktemplate->block.nTime, maxTime);
+    delete pblocktemplate;
+
+    // Set the clock to be equal to the median-time-past, violating the rule that it must
+    // be after the MTP.
+    FixedClock::Instance()->Set(std::chrono::seconds(minTime - 1));
+
+    // This should succeed, and nTime should be clamped to the minimum consensus-valid value.
     BOOST_CHECK(pblocktemplate = BlockAssembler(chainparams).CreateNewBlock(scriptPubKey));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(pblocktemplate->block.nTime, minTime);
     delete pblocktemplate;
 
+    auto curTime = GetTime();
+    OffsetClock::SetGlobal();
+    OffsetClock::Instance()->Set(std::chrono::seconds(-curTime + nTime));
+
     TestMemPoolEntryHelper entry;
     entry.nFee = 0;
     entry.nHeight = 0;