# Oracle freshness or dependency state permits an invalid decision

A consumer accepts an observation outside its required freshness or availability conditions and makes an incorrect economic decision.

**Candidate CWE:** [CWE-754](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/754.html)

## Test hypothesis

Compare a valid feed state with one realistically stale timestamp, dependency failure, or applicable L2 sequencer recovery state. Keep price units and other metadata constant in the local harness.

## Evidence required

Configured freshness policy, feed timestamps, reachability assumptions, accepted consumer branch and measured quote/collateral consequence.

## Rule out false positives

A missing generic timestamp check alone is a lead; upstream guarantees and impossible mocked conditions can invalidate the claim.

## Playbook and command references

- [Contract signatures and oracles: context, freshness and units](https://bug-bounty-field-manual.kmahshooq.chatgpt.site/modules/contract-signatures-oracles.html) — Test signed-action context and price-consumer assumptions with local keys, mock feeds and explicit negative controls.

[Find the associated command snippets](https://bug-bounty-field-manual.kmahshooq.chatgpt.site/commands.html?q=Contract%20signatures%20and%20oracles%3A%20context%2C%20freshness%20and%20units)

## Referenced by these target playbooks

[Web3 & protocols](https://bug-bounty-field-manual.kmahshooq.chatgpt.site/web3.html) · [OSS & self-hosted](https://bug-bounty-field-manual.kmahshooq.chatgpt.site/oss.html)

## Report checklist

- [ ] Capture the affected version, configuration, identities, and object ownership.
- [ ] Preserve a valid baseline and a negative control.
- [ ] Reproduce the forbidden data access, action, or state change on controlled fixtures.
- [ ] Explain the intended security rule and why the observed behavior violates it.
- [ ] State prerequisites, uncertainty, cleanup, and the smallest demonstrated impact.

## Conditional ATT&CK mapping

No direct ATT&CK mapping selected. Record the weakness and demonstrated impact without forcing an adversary-behavior classification. See the [mapping guide](https://bug-bounty-field-manual.kmahshooq.chatgpt.site/attack.html).

## Primary references

- [Chainlink Data Feeds API](https://docs.chain.link/data-feeds/api-reference)
- [Chainlink L2 sequencer uptime feeds](https://docs.chain.link/data-feeds/l2-sequencer-feeds)

[Back to the complete vulnerability catalog](https://bug-bounty-field-manual.kmahshooq.chatgpt.site/vulnerabilities.html)