oak_techniques: [OAK-T14.001] spec_id: oak-detection-T14.001 version: 0.1.0 maturity: emerging maintainer: "@iZonex" license: Apache-2.0 scope: | Detect validator-layer events that produce slashing — both adversarial (forced equivocation, slashing-as-MEV, mass-slash via consensus-client bug, slashing-claim race) and operator-procedural (DVT-failover / hot-standby / maintenance-window correlated self-slashing). The dominant *observed* failure mode at v0.1 is operator-side correlated self-slashing (sub-case e); adversarial sub-cases remain characterised in academic literature without a field-confirmed external-attacker anchor. Excludes: T14.002 (MEV-Boost relay attack); T14.003 (restaking-cascading risk — composes when a slash propagates across AVSs); T11 (off-chain key compromise — keys are not stolen here, the validator signs its own slashable message). data_sources: [beacon_attester_slashings, beacon_proposer_slashings, cosmos_slashing_events, polkadot_offences, consensus_client_inventory, dvt_cluster_telemetry, slashing_protection_state, mempool_report_log] detection_logic: description: | Five orthogonal paths matching the five sub-cases. PATH A (operator- procedural correlated self-slashing): a cluster of validators tied to one operator family / DVT cluster slashed within a tight epoch window — the dominant observed failure mode. PATH B (forced- equivocation / griefing): validator enters a slashable state immediately after processing a specific external mempool / gossip input that traces to an unrelated address. PATH C (slashing-as-MEV): slashing event correlated with profitable backrun by a related actor capturing whistleblower reward, post-ejection reorg, or LST depeg. PATH D (consensus-client correlated bug): mass slashing correlated with a single client-version cluster. PATH E (slashing- claim race / report stripping): a single proposer is consistently the inclusion address for slashing reports whose content was first surfaced by a third party. pseudocode: | SLASHING_EVENTS = beacon_attester_slashings + beacon_proposer_slashings + cosmos_slashing_events + polkadot_offences # PATH A — operator-procedural correlated self-slashing for each window W of size correlation_window: slashed ← SLASHING_EVENTS in W groups ← group_by(slashed, key = validator_to_operator_or_dvt(v)) for op, cohort in groups.items(): if |cohort| ≥ correlation_min_validators and op ∉ slashing_allowlist: emit(PATH_A, operator_or_dvt=op, cohort_size=|cohort|, window=W, severity=critical) # PATH B — forced-equivocation / griefing causation trace for each slashing s on validator v: window ← [s.t − causation_window, s.t] inputs ← gossip_or_mempool_inputs_to(v, window) for inp in inputs: if traces_to_unrelated_address(inp, v.operator) and is_known_griefing_pattern(inp): emit(PATH_B, validator=v, slashing=s, input=inp, severity=high) # PATH C — slashing-as-MEV / whistleblower-reward capture for each slashing s with whistleblower_reward(s) > 0: reporter ← s.report.proposer benefit ← post_event_profit(reporter ∪ funder_graph_cluster(reporter, hops=trace_hops), window = post_event_window) if benefit > min_mev_benefit: emit(PATH_C, slashing=s, reporter, benefit_usd=benefit, severity=high) # PATH D — consensus-client correlated bug for each window W: slashed ← SLASHING_EVENTS in W by_client ← group_by(slashed, key = consensus_client_of(v)) for client, cohort in by_client.items(): share_of_active ← active_share(client) if |cohort| > client_correlation_min and (|cohort| / total_slashed(W)) > client_correlation_share and share_of_active < single_client_dominance_floor: emit(PATH_D, client=client, cohort_size=|cohort|, severity=critical) # PATH E — slashing-claim race / report stripping for each block b containing a slashing report R: proposer ← b.proposer mempool_origin ← first_seen_in_mempool(R, before = b.t) if mempool_origin ≠ None and mempool_origin.author ≠ proposer: recent ← report_count(proposer, window = recent_window) if recent.steal_rate > steal_rate_threshold: emit(PATH_E, proposer, sample_report=R, steal_rate=recent.steal_rate, severity=high) parameters: correlation_window: { type: duration, default: 1h } correlation_min_validators: { type: integer, default: 5 } slashing_allowlist: { type: list, default: [] } causation_window: { type: duration, default: 60s } trace_hops: { type: integer, default: 3 } post_event_window: { type: duration, default: 1h } min_mev_benefit: { type: number, default: 10000 } client_correlation_min: { type: integer, default: 50 } client_correlation_share: { type: number, default: 0.6 } single_client_dominance_floor: { type: number, default: 0.5 } recent_window: { type: duration, default: 30d } steal_rate_threshold: { type: number, default: 0.4 } output_alert: [oak_technique, detection_path, severity, chain, operator_or_dvt, validator, cohort_size, client, proposer, evidence] test_fixtures: positive: - 2025-09-ssv-network-mass-slashing # canonical PATH A operator-procedural correlated self-slashing - 2024-eigenlayer-restaking-airdrop # AVS slashing-condition cohort context negative: - "Single isolated slashing on a validator with no operator cluster overlap and no causation trace" - "Anti-slashing-database-protected operator on routine restart with no duplicate signatures" false_positive_modes: - planned validator-set rotation by a known operator (allowlist-suppressed) - PATH C false positives where the proposer is also the legitimate independent reporter (require mempool_origin from a distinct author) - PATH D triggered by a chain-wide reorg / volatility event affecting all clients proportionally — require disproportionate single-client share - PATH E false positives from public mempool latency where the proposer's own copy lands first organically — require sustained steal_rate above threshold mitigations: [OAK-M02, OAK-M05, OAK-M16, OAK-M17, OAK-M22] reference_implementations: - { target: prysm-slasher, chain: ethereum, url: "" } - { target: lighthouse-slasher, chain: ethereum, url: "" } - { target: tenderduty, chain: cosmos, url: "" } - { target: ssv-monitor, chain: ethereum, url: "" } - { target: web3signer, chain: ethereum, url: "" }