feat: Return block authentication data with GetBlockHeaderByNum

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## 0.3.0 (TBD)
 
+* Added block authentication data to the `GetBlockHeaderByNumber` RPC (#345).
 * Added option to mint pulic notes in the faucet (#339).
 * Renamed `note_hash` into `note_id` in the database (#336)
 * Changed `version` and `timestamp` fields in `Block` message to `u32` (#337).

crates/proto/proto/requests.proto

@@ -14,11 +14,17 @@ message CheckNullifiersRequest {
     repeated digest.Digest nullifiers = 1;
 }
 
+// Returns the block header corresponding to the requested block number, as well as the merkle
+// path and current forest which validate the block's inclusion in the chain.
+//
+// The merkle path is an MMR proof for the block's leaf, based on the current forest.
 message GetBlockHeaderByNumberRequest {
     // The block number of the target block.
     //
     // If not provided, means latest know block.
     optional uint32 block_num = 1;
+    // Whether or not to return authentication data for the block header.
+    bool include_authentication = 2;
 }
 
 // State synchronization request.

crates/proto/proto/responses.proto

@@ -17,7 +17,14 @@ message CheckNullifiersResponse {
 }
 
 message GetBlockHeaderByNumberResponse {
+    // The requested block header
     block_header.BlockHeader block_header = 1;
+
+    // Merkle path to verify the block's inclusion in the MMR at the returned `forest`
+    optional merkle.MerklePath proof = 2;
+
+    // Current value of the MMR forest
+    optional fixed32 forest = 3;
 }
 
 message NullifierUpdate {
@@ -26,22 +33,22 @@ message NullifierUpdate {
 }
 
 message SyncStateResponse {
-    // number of the latest block in the chain
+    // Number of the latest block in the chain
     fixed32 chain_tip = 1;
 
-    // block header of the block with the first note matching the specified criteria
+    // Block header of the block with the first note matching the specified criteria
     block_header.BlockHeader block_header = 2;
 
-    // data needed to update the partial MMR from `block_num + 1` to `block_header.block_num`
+    // Data needed to update the partial MMR from `block_num + 1` to `block_header.block_num`
     mmr.MmrDelta mmr_delta = 3;
 
-    // a list of account hashes updated after `block_num + 1` but not after `block_header.block_num`
+    // List of account hashes updated after `block_num + 1` but not after `block_header.block_num`
     repeated account.AccountSummary accounts = 5;
 
-    // a list of all notes together with the Merkle paths from `block_header.note_root`
+    // List of all notes together with the Merkle paths from `block_header.note_root`
     repeated note.NoteSyncRecord notes = 6;
 
-    // a list of nullifiers created between `block_num + 1` and `block_header.block_num`
+    // List of nullifiers created between `block_num + 1` and `block_header.block_num`
     repeated NullifierUpdate nullifiers = 7;
 }
 

crates/proto/src/generated/requests.rs

@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ pub struct CheckNullifiersRequest {
     #[prost(message, repeated, tag = "1")]
     pub nullifiers: ::prost::alloc::vec::Vec<super::digest::Digest>,
 }
+/// Returns the block header corresponding to the requested block number, as well as the merkle
+/// path and current forest which validate the block's inclusion in the chain.
+///
+/// The merkle path is an MMR proof for the block's leaf, based on the current forest.
 #[allow(clippy::derive_partial_eq_without_eq)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]
 pub struct GetBlockHeaderByNumberRequest {
@@ -19,6 +23,9 @@ pub struct GetBlockHeaderByNumberRequest {
     /// If not provided, means latest know block.
     #[prost(uint32, optional, tag = "1")]
     pub block_num: ::core::option::Option<u32>,
+    /// Whether or not to return authentication data for the block header.
+    #[prost(bool, tag = "2")]
+    pub include_authentication: bool,
 }
 /// State synchronization request.
 ///

crates/proto/src/generated/responses.rs

@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ pub struct CheckNullifiersResponse {
 pub struct GetBlockHeaderByNumberResponse {
     #[prost(message, optional, tag = "1")]
     pub block_header: ::core::option::Option<super::block_header::BlockHeader>,
+    #[prost(message, optional, tag = "2")]
+    pub proof: ::core::option::Option<super::merkle::MerklePath>,
+    #[prost(fixed32, optional, tag = "3")]
+    pub forest: ::core::option::Option<u32>,
 }
 #[allow(clippy::derive_partial_eq_without_eq)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]

crates/rpc/README.md

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Gets a list of proofs for given nullifier hashes, each proof as a sparse Merkle
 
 ### GetBlockHeaderByNumber
 
-Retrieves block header by given block number.
+Retrieves block header by given block number, optionally alongside a Merkle path and the current MMR forest to validate its inclusion.
 
 **Parameters**
 

crates/store/README.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ Get a list of proofs for given nullifier hashes, each proof as a sparse Merkle T
 
 ### GetBlockHeaderByNumber
 
-Retrieves block header by given block number.
+Retrieves block header by given block number. Optionally, it also returns the MMR path and current forest to authenticate the block's inclusion.
 
 **Parameters**
 

crates/store/src/errors.rs

@@ -172,6 +172,14 @@ pub enum ApplyBlockError {
     FailedToUpdateNullifierTree(NullifierTreeError),
 }
 
+#[derive(Error, Debug)]
+pub enum GetBlockHeaderError {
+    #[error("Database error: {0}")]
+    DatabaseError(#[from] DatabaseError),
+    #[error("Error retrieving the merkle proof for the block: {0}")]
+    MmrError(#[from] MmrError),
+}
+
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
 pub enum GetBlockInputsError {
     #[error("Database error: {0}")]

crates/store/src/server/api.rs

@@ -67,16 +67,20 @@ impl api_server::Api for StoreApi {
         request: tonic::Request<GetBlockHeaderByNumberRequest>,
     ) -> Result<Response<GetBlockHeaderByNumberResponse>, Status> {
         info!(target: COMPONENT, ?request);
+        let request = request.into_inner();
 
-        let block_num = request.into_inner().block_num;
-        let block_header = self
+        let block_num = request.block_num;
+        let (block_header, merkle_proof) = self
             .state
-            .get_block_header(block_num)
+            .get_block_header(block_num, request.include_authentication)
             .await
-            .map_err(internal_error)?
-            .map(Into::into);
+            .map_err(internal_error)?;
 
-        Ok(Response::new(GetBlockHeaderByNumberResponse { block_header }))
+        Ok(Response::new(GetBlockHeaderByNumberResponse {
+            block_header: block_header.map(Into::into),
+            forest: merkle_proof.as_ref().map(|p| p.forest as u32),
+            proof: merkle_proof.map(|p| Into::into(p.merkle_path)),
+        }))
     }
 
     /// Returns info on whether the specified nullifiers have been consumed.

crates/store/src/state.rs

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use miden_objects::{
     block::{Block, BlockNoteIndex, BlockNoteTree},
     crypto::{
         hash::rpo::RpoDigest,
-        merkle::{LeafIndex, Mmr, MmrDelta, MmrPeaks, SimpleSmt, SmtProof, ValuePath},
+        merkle::{LeafIndex, Mmr, MmrDelta, MmrPeaks, MmrProof, SimpleSmt, SmtProof, ValuePath},
     },
     notes::{NoteId, Nullifier},
     transaction::OutputNote,
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ use crate::{
     blocks::BlockStore,
     db::{Db, NoteRecord, NullifierInfo, StateSyncUpdate},
     errors::{
-        ApplyBlockError, DatabaseError, GetBlockInputsError, StateInitializationError,
-        StateSyncError,
+        ApplyBlockError, DatabaseError, GetBlockHeaderError, GetBlockInputsError,
+        StateInitializationError, StateSyncError,
     },
     nullifier_tree::NullifierTree,
     types::{AccountId, BlockNumber},
@@ -291,15 +291,30 @@ impl State {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    /// Queries a [BlockHeader] from the database.
+    /// Queries a [BlockHeader] from the database, and returns it alongside its inclusion proof.
     ///
-    /// If [None] is given as the value of `block_num`, the latest [BlockHeader] is returned.
+    /// If [None] is given as the value of `block_num`, the data for the latest [BlockHeader] is
+    /// returned.
     #[instrument(target = "miden-store", skip_all, ret(level = "debug"), err)]
     pub async fn get_block_header(
         &self,
         block_num: Option<BlockNumber>,
-    ) -> Result<Option<BlockHeader>, DatabaseError> {
-        self.db.select_block_header_by_block_num(block_num).await
+        include_authentication: bool,
+    ) -> Result<(Option<BlockHeader>, Option<MmrProof>), GetBlockHeaderError> {
+        let block_header = self.db.select_block_header_by_block_num(block_num).await?;
+        if let Some(header) = block_header {
+            let mmr_proof = if include_authentication {
+                let inner = self.inner.read().await;
+                let mmr_proof =
+                    inner.chain_mmr.open(header.block_num() as usize, inner.chain_mmr.forest())?;
+                Some(mmr_proof)
+            } else {
+                None
+            };
+            Ok((Some(header), mmr_proof))
+        } else {
+            Ok((None, None))
+        }
     }
 
     /// Generates membership proofs for each one of the `nullifiers` against the latest nullifier