How Does a Tampered Block Header Affect Network Security?
A tampered block header, if successfully propagated, can lead to a security breach. If the previous hash is altered, it breaks the chain's integrity.
If the Merkle Root is altered, it can hide malicious transactions. If the nonce is altered after mining, the block is invalidated.
Any successful tampering can result in a chain fork, double-spending, or transaction censorship, severely undermining the network's trust and economic value.
Glossar
Block Header Hash
Hash ⎊ The cryptographic hash of a block header represents a unique fingerprint of the block's contents, derived through a one-way function.
Transaction Censorship
Enforcement ⎊ The ability of miners or validators to selectively exclude specific transactions from block inclusion represents a direct threat to the open and permissionless nature of the network.
Block Header
Genesis ⎊ A block header, fundamentally, encapsulates metadata pertaining to a specific block within a blockchain; it serves as the block’s identifying signature and is critical for maintaining chain integrity.