From 69d725097183a740d1a2cc81b42bb1da7d1b1cab Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Michael Sproul <michael@sigmaprime.io>
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2026 11:27:55 +1100
Subject: [PATCH] Tidy up payload attestation verification

---
 consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs      | 27 ++++++++++++++++---
 .../indexed_payload_attestation.rs            |  7 -----
 2 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs b/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs
index 7f5ef51217..dd68497e23 100644
--- a/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs
+++ b/consensus/fork_choice/src/fork_choice.rs
@@ -185,6 +185,11 @@ pub enum InvalidAttestation {
         attestation_slot: Slot,
         current_slot: Slot,
     },
+    /// One or more payload attesters are not part of the PTC.
+    PayloadAttestationAttestersNotInPtc {
+        attesting_indices_len: usize,
+        attesting_indices_in_ptc: usize,
+    },
 }
 
 impl<T> From<String> for Error<T> {
@@ -1169,10 +1174,14 @@ where
         indexed_payload_attestation: &IndexedPayloadAttestation<E>,
         is_from_block: AttestationFromBlock,
     ) -> Result<(), InvalidAttestation> {
+        // This check is from `is_valid_indexed_payload_attestation`, but we do it immediately to
+        // avoid wasting time on junk attestations.
         if indexed_payload_attestation.attesting_indices.is_empty() {
             return Err(InvalidAttestation::EmptyAggregationBitfield);
         }
 
+        // PTC attestation must be for a known block. If block is unknown, delay consideration until
+        // the block is found (responsibility of caller).
         let block = self
             .proto_array
             .get_block(&indexed_payload_attestation.data.beacon_block_root)
@@ -1180,6 +1189,8 @@ where
                 beacon_block_root: indexed_payload_attestation.data.beacon_block_root,
             })?;
 
+        // Not strictly part of the spec, but payload attestations to future slots are MORE INVALID
+        // than payload attestations to blocks at previous slots.
         if block.slot > indexed_payload_attestation.data.slot {
             return Err(InvalidAttestation::AttestsToFutureBlock {
                 block: block.slot,
@@ -1187,13 +1198,13 @@ where
             });
         }
 
-        // Spec: `if data.slot != state.slot: return` — PTC votes can only
-        // change the vote for their assigned beacon block.
+        // PTC votes can only change the vote for their assigned beacon block, return early otherwise
         if block.slot != indexed_payload_attestation.data.slot {
             return Ok(());
         }
 
         // Gossip payload attestations must be for the current slot.
+        // NOTE: signature is assumed to have been verified by caller.
         // https://github.com/ethereum/consensus-specs/blob/master/specs/gloas/fork-choice.md
         if matches!(is_from_block, AttestationFromBlock::False)
             && indexed_payload_attestation.data.slot != self.fc_store.get_current_slot()
@@ -1318,10 +1329,20 @@ where
 
         // Resolve validator indices to PTC committee positions.
         let ptc_indices: Vec<usize> = attestation
-            .attesting_indices_iter()
+            .attesting_indices
+            .iter()
             .filter_map(|vi| ptc.iter().position(|&p| p == *vi as usize))
             .collect();
 
+        // Check that all the attesters are in the PTC
+        if ptc_indices.len() != attestation.attesting_indices.len() {
+            return Err(InvalidAttestation::PayloadAttestationAttestersNotInPtc {
+                attesting_indices_len: attestation.attesting_indices.len(),
+                attesting_indices_in_ptc: ptc_indices.len(),
+            }
+            .into());
+        }
+
         for &ptc_index in &ptc_indices {
             self.proto_array.process_payload_attestation(
                 attestation.data.beacon_block_root,
diff --git a/consensus/types/src/attestation/indexed_payload_attestation.rs b/consensus/types/src/attestation/indexed_payload_attestation.rs
index 4de805570c..bb2087e330 100644
--- a/consensus/types/src/attestation/indexed_payload_attestation.rs
+++ b/consensus/types/src/attestation/indexed_payload_attestation.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ use crate::test_utils::TestRandom;
 use crate::{EthSpec, ForkName, PayloadAttestationData};
 use bls::AggregateSignature;
 use context_deserialize::context_deserialize;
-use core::slice::Iter;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use ssz_derive::{Decode, Encode};
 use ssz_types::VariableList;
@@ -21,12 +20,6 @@ pub struct IndexedPayloadAttestation<E: EthSpec> {
     pub signature: AggregateSignature,
 }
 
-impl<E: EthSpec> IndexedPayloadAttestation<E> {
-    pub fn attesting_indices_iter(&self) -> Iter<'_, u64> {
-        self.attesting_indices.iter()
-    }
-}
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;