discovery: enforce non-zero timestamp in gossip messages

In this commit, we add validation for channel updates and node
announcements to ensure that we reject gossip messages with zero
timestamps at the discovery layer.

From BOLT 7:
  "MUST set timestamp to greater than 0, AND to greater than any
  previously-sent channel_update for this short_channel_id."

This validation is performed in the gossip handlers (handleNodeAnnouncement
and handleChanUpdate) rather than at the wire protocol level. This approach
ensures we can still decode messages from disk or embedded in onion errors
while rejecting invalid gossip from peers.

Remote peers sending zero-timestamp gossip will have their ban score
incremented.

discovery/gossiper.go

@@ -2502,6 +2502,22 @@ func (d *AuthenticatedGossiper) handleNodeAnnouncement(ctx context.Context,
 		"node=%x, source=%x", nMsg.peer, timestamp, nodeAnn.NodeID,
 		nMsg.source.SerializeCompressed())
 
+	// Although not explicitly required by BOLT 7 for node announcements
+	// (unlike channel updates), we still enforce non-zero timestamps as a
+	// sanity check. A timestamp of zero is likely indicative of a bug or
+	// uninitialized message.
+	if nodeAnn.Timestamp == 0 {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("rejecting node announcement with zero "+
+			"timestamp for node %x", nodeAnn.NodeID)
+
+		log.Warnf("Rejecting node announcement from peer=%v: %v",
+			nMsg.peer, err)
+
+		nMsg.err <- err
+
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
 	// We'll quickly ask the router if it already has a newer update for
 	// this node so we can skip validating signatures if not required.
 	if d.cfg.Graph.IsStaleNode(ctx, nodeAnn.NodeID, timestamp) {
@@ -3056,6 +3072,27 @@ func (d *AuthenticatedGossiper) handleChanUpdate(ctx context.Context,
 	// quickly reject it.
 	timestamp := time.Unix(int64(upd.Timestamp), 0)
 
+	// Per BOLT 7, the timestamp MUST be greater than 0.
+	if upd.Timestamp == 0 {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("rejecting channel update with zero "+
+			"timestamp for short_chan_id(%v)", shortChanID)
+
+		// Only increase ban score for remote peers.
+		if nMsg.isRemote {
+			log.Warnf("Increasing ban score for peer=%v: %v",
+				nMsg.peer, err)
+
+			dcErr := d.handleBadPeer(nMsg.peer)
+			if dcErr != nil {
+				err = dcErr
+			}
+		}
+
+		nMsg.err <- err
+
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
 	// Fetch the SCID we should be using to lock the channelMtx and make
 	// graph queries with.
 	graphScid, err := d.cfg.FindBaseByAlias(upd.ShortChannelID)

discovery/gossiper_test.go

@@ -2930,6 +2930,78 @@ func TestExtraDataNodeAnnouncementValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to process announcement")
 }
 
+// TestZeroTimestampNodeAnnouncementRejection tests that a NodeAnnouncement with
+// a zero timestamp is rejected per BOLT 7.
+func TestZeroTimestampNodeAnnouncementRejection(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	ctx := t.Context()
+
+	tCtx, err := createTestCtx(t, 0, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "can't create context")
+
+	remotePeer := &mockPeer{
+		remoteKeyPriv1.PubKey(), nil, nil, atomic.Bool{},
+	}
+
+	// Create a node announcement with a zero timestamp.
+	nodeAnn, err := createNodeAnnouncement(remoteKeyPriv1, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "can't create node announcement")
+
+	// Processing the announcement should fail with a zero timestamp error.
+	select {
+	case err = <-tCtx.gossiper.ProcessRemoteAnnouncement(
+		ctx, nodeAnn, remotePeer,
+	):
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("did not process remote announcement")
+	}
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "zero timestamp")
+}
+
+// TestZeroTimestampChannelUpdateRejection tests that a ChannelUpdate with a
+// zero timestamp is rejected per BOLT 7.
+func TestZeroTimestampChannelUpdateRejection(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	ctx := t.Context()
+
+	tCtx, err := createTestCtx(t, 0, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "can't create context")
+
+	remotePeer := &mockPeer{
+		remoteKeyPriv1.PubKey(), nil, nil, atomic.Bool{},
+	}
+
+	// First, we need to process a channel announcement so that the channel
+	// update has a valid channel to refer to.
+	chanAnn, err := tCtx.createRemoteChannelAnnouncement(0)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to create chan ann")
+
+	select {
+	case err = <-tCtx.gossiper.ProcessRemoteAnnouncement(
+		ctx, chanAnn, remotePeer,
+	):
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("did not process remote announcement")
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to process chan ann")
+
+	// Now create a channel update with a zero timestamp.
+	chanUpdAnn, err := createUpdateAnnouncement(0, 0, remoteKeyPriv1, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to create chan update")
+
+	// Processing the update should fail with a zero timestamp error.
+	select {
+	case err = <-tCtx.gossiper.ProcessRemoteAnnouncement(
+		ctx, chanUpdAnn, remotePeer,
+	):
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("did not process remote announcement")
+	}
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "zero timestamp")
+}
+
 // assertBroadcast checks that num messages are being broadcasted from the
 // gossiper. The broadcasted messages are returned.
 func assertBroadcast(t *testing.T, ctx *testCtx, num int) []lnwire.Message {

docs/release-notes/release-notes-0.20.1.md

@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@
 # Technical and Architectural Updates
 ## BOLT Spec Updates
 
+* [Enforce non-zero timestamps](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/pull/10469)
+  for `channel_update` (as required by BOLT 7) and `node_announcement` messages.
+  Gossip messages with zero timestamps are now rejected. For `channel_update`
+  messages, remote peers sending such invalid messages will have their ban score
+  incremented.
+
 ## Testing
 
 ## Database