Cannot sign Solana transactions with signMessage

[trevormil]

Summary

I am building a dApp that supports signing my Cosmos SDK blockchain's transactions as plaintext messages with Phantom Wallet. Certain transactions work, but some like the following fail with the error "Oops! You cannot sign solana transactions using sign message". Why could this be? What in this specific JSON is causing the error to be treated as a Solana transaction?

I am pretty sure it was working a little bit ago (maybe a new version update triggered something?)

{"account_number":"13","chain_id":"bitbadges_1-2","fee":{"amount":[{"amount":"0","denom":"badge"}],"gas":"115584"},"memo":"","msg0":{"type":"badges/UniversalUpdateCollection","value":{"badgeMetadataTimeline":[{"badgeMetadata":[{"badgeIds":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"customData":"","uri":"ipfs://QmQKn1G41gcVEZPenXjtTTQfQJnx5Q6fDtZrcSNJvBqxUs"}],"timelineTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"badgesToCreate":[{"amount":"1","badgeIds":[{"end":"10000","start":"1"}],"ownershipTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"balancesType":"Standard","collectionApprovals":[],"collectionId":"0","collectionMetadataTimeline":[{"collectionMetadata":{"customData":"","uri":"ipfs://QmfCSNLayKfnaGQFZ5jFgKJoirsg9Uptp4djMU3sQ3itH3"},"timelineTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"collectionPermissions":{"canArchiveCollection":[],"canCreateMoreBadges":[],"canDeleteCollection":[],"canUpdateBadgeMetadata":[],"canUpdateCollectionApprovals":[],"canUpdateCollectionMetadata":[],"canUpdateCustomData":[],"canUpdateManager":[],"canUpdateOffChainBalancesMetadata":[],"canUpdateStandards":[]},"creator":"cosmos1zd5dsage58jfrgmsu377pk6w0q5zhc67fn4gsl","customDataTimeline":[],"defaultBalances":{"autoApproveSelfInitiatedIncomingTransfers":true,"autoApproveSelfInitiatedOutgoingTransfers":true,"balances":[],"incomingApprovals":[{"amountTrackerId":"default-incoming-allowed","approvalCriteria":{"approvalAmounts":{"overallApprovalAmount":"0","perFromAddressApprovalAmount":"0","perInitiatedByAddressApprovalAmount":"0","perToAddressApprovalAmount":"0"},"maxNumTransfers":{"overallMaxNumTransfers":"0","perFromAddressMaxNumTransfers":"0","perInitiatedByAddressMaxNumTransfers":"0","perToAddressMaxNumTransfers":"0"},"merkleChallenge":{"customData":"","expectedProofLength":"0","maxUsesPerLeaf":"0","root":"","uri":"","useCreatorAddressAsLeaf":false},"mustOwnBadges":[],"predeterminedBalances":{"incrementedBalances":{"incrementBadgeIdsBy":"0","incrementOwnershipTimesBy":"0","startBalances":[]},"manualBalances":[],"orderCalculationMethod":{"useMerkleChallengeLeafIndex":false,"useOverallNumTransfers":false,"usePerFromAddressNumTransfers":false,"usePerInitiatedByAddressNumTransfers":false,"usePerToAddressNumTransfers":false}},"requireFromDoesNotEqualInitiatedBy":false,"requireFromEqualsInitiatedBy":false},"approvalId":"default-incoming-allowed","badgeIds":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"challengeTrackerId":"default-incoming-allowed","customData":"","fromListId":"All","initiatedByListId":"All","ownershipTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"transferTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"uri":""}],"outgoingApprovals":[],"userPermissions":{"canUpdateAutoApproveSelfInitiatedIncomingTransfers":[],"canUpdateAutoApproveSelfInitiatedOutgoingTransfers":[],"canUpdateIncomingApprovals":[],"canUpdateOutgoingApprovals":[]}},"isArchivedTimeline":[],"managerTimeline":[{"manager":"cosmos1zd5dsage58jfrgmsu377pk6w0q5zhc67fn4gsl","timelineTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"offChainBalancesMetadataTimeline":[],"standardsTimeline":[],"updateBadgeMetadataTimeline":true,"updateCollectionApprovals":true,"updateCollectionMetadataTimeline":true,"updateCollectionPermissions":true,"updateCustomDataTimeline":true,"updateIsArchivedTimeline":true,"updateManagerTimeline":true,"updateOffChainBalancesMetadataTimeline":true,"updateStandardsTimeline":true}},"sequence":"4"}

Example

No response

Steps to Reproduce

Sign the message below using Phantom's sign message

const message = payload.jsonToSign;
      const encodedMessage = new TextEncoder().encode(message);
      const signedMessage = await solanaProvider.request({
        method: "signMessage",
        params: {
          message: encodedMessage,
          display: "utf8"
        }
      });

{"account_number":"13","chain_id":"bitbadges_1-2","fee":{"amount":[{"amount":"0","denom":"badge"}],"gas":"115584"},"memo":"","msg0":{"type":"badges/UniversalUpdateCollection","value":{"badgeMetadataTimeline":[{"badgeMetadata":[{"badgeIds":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"customData":"","uri":"ipfs://QmQKn1G41gcVEZPenXjtTTQfQJnx5Q6fDtZrcSNJvBqxUs"}],"timelineTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"badgesToCreate":[{"amount":"1","badgeIds":[{"end":"10000","start":"1"}],"ownershipTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"balancesType":"Standard","collectionApprovals":[],"collectionId":"0","collectionMetadataTimeline":[{"collectionMetadata":{"customData":"","uri":"ipfs://QmfCSNLayKfnaGQFZ5jFgKJoirsg9Uptp4djMU3sQ3itH3"},"timelineTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"collectionPermissions":{"canArchiveCollection":[],"canCreateMoreBadges":[],"canDeleteCollection":[],"canUpdateBadgeMetadata":[],"canUpdateCollectionApprovals":[],"canUpdateCollectionMetadata":[],"canUpdateCustomData":[],"canUpdateManager":[],"canUpdateOffChainBalancesMetadata":[],"canUpdateStandards":[]},"creator":"cosmos1zd5dsage58jfrgmsu377pk6w0q5zhc67fn4gsl","customDataTimeline":[],"defaultBalances":{"autoApproveSelfInitiatedIncomingTransfers":true,"autoApproveSelfInitiatedOutgoingTransfers":true,"balances":[],"incomingApprovals":[{"amountTrackerId":"default-incoming-allowed","approvalCriteria":{"approvalAmounts":{"overallApprovalAmount":"0","perFromAddressApprovalAmount":"0","perInitiatedByAddressApprovalAmount":"0","perToAddressApprovalAmount":"0"},"maxNumTransfers":{"overallMaxNumTransfers":"0","perFromAddressMaxNumTransfers":"0","perInitiatedByAddressMaxNumTransfers":"0","perToAddressMaxNumTransfers":"0"},"merkleChallenge":{"customData":"","expectedProofLength":"0","maxUsesPerLeaf":"0","root":"","uri":"","useCreatorAddressAsLeaf":false},"mustOwnBadges":[],"predeterminedBalances":{"incrementedBalances":{"incrementBadgeIdsBy":"0","incrementOwnershipTimesBy":"0","startBalances":[]},"manualBalances":[],"orderCalculationMethod":{"useMerkleChallengeLeafIndex":false,"useOverallNumTransfers":false,"usePerFromAddressNumTransfers":false,"usePerInitiatedByAddressNumTransfers":false,"usePerToAddressNumTransfers":false}},"requireFromDoesNotEqualInitiatedBy":false,"requireFromEqualsInitiatedBy":false},"approvalId":"default-incoming-allowed","badgeIds":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"challengeTrackerId":"default-incoming-allowed","customData":"","fromListId":"All","initiatedByListId":"All","ownershipTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"transferTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}],"uri":""}],"outgoingApprovals":[],"userPermissions":{"canUpdateAutoApproveSelfInitiatedIncomingTransfers":[],"canUpdateAutoApproveSelfInitiatedOutgoingTransfers":[],"canUpdateIncomingApprovals":[],"canUpdateOutgoingApprovals":[]}},"isArchivedTimeline":[],"managerTimeline":[{"manager":"cosmos1zd5dsage58jfrgmsu377pk6w0q5zhc67fn4gsl","timelineTimes":[{"end":"18446744073709551615","start":"1"}]}],"offChainBalancesMetadataTimeline":[],"standardsTimeline":[],"updateBadgeMetadataTimeline":true,"updateCollectionApprovals":true,"updateCollectionMetadataTimeline":true,"updateCollectionPermissions":true,"updateCustomDataTimeline":true,"updateIsArchivedTimeline":true,"updateManagerTimeline":true,"updateOffChainBalancesMetadataTimeline":true,"updateStandardsTimeline":true}},"sequence":"4"}

Phantom Version

24.2.0

Is there an existing discussion for this?

• I have searched the existing discussions

[trevormil]

For reference, this message is completely fine

{
  "account_number": "13",
  "chain_id": "bitbadges_1-2",
  "fee": {
    "amount": [
      {
        "amount": "0",
        "denom": "badge"
      }
    ],
    "gas": "82337"
  },
  "memo": "",
  "msg0": {
    "type": "cosmos-sdk/MsgSend",
    "value": {
      "amount": [
        {
          "amount": "1",
          "denom": "badge"
        }
      ],
      "from_address": "cosmos1zd5dsage58jfrgmsu377pk6w0q5zhc67fn4gsl",
      "to_address": "cosmos1uy4my3dwzwv9drgq06pt433z742l9vrlnx88ds"
    }
  },
  "sequence": "4"
}

[adamdelphantom]

Hey @trevormil,

Apologies for the delay on this. I am investigating and will follow up shortly!

[trevormil]

@adamdelphantom I understand that it is not supported, but I am simply signing a plaintext message, not a transaction. I am handling all support on my end for my network. This is a very important issue for my project. It would be greatly appreciated if we could get this solved.

Could you give me an explanation (or a code snippet) on how Phantom scans for if a plaintext message is a Solana transaction? What does it look for? Because it is obviously catching stuff that isn't a Solana transaction. I am kinda in the dark here for how to go about this.

[trevormil]

@adamdelphantom Upon further inspection, it looks like there might be a 1060 character limit for the length of the messages? Is this what is causing the error?

If it is, two things:
-Is it possible to increase this limit?
-The error message is very misleading for development. It should be a "message too long error", not a "cannot sign Solana transaction". This should also be on the docs somewhere.

[trevormil]

For reference, when signing this message with the period at the end, it gives an error. But without it, it doesn't.

message = JSON.stringify(`
    Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Why do we use it?
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover. 
`);

This message is unsuccessful and gives a "cannot sign Solana transaction" error

"\n    Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.\n\nWhy do we use it?\nIt is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover. \n"

while this one is successful and can be signed

"\n    Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.\n\nWhy do we use it?\nIt is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover\n"

[adamdelphantom]

@trevormil Message signing can and is used for malicious purposes. So I'm afraid some of this will remain obscure.

1. In order for us to consider increasing the limit we would need to see more demand for this from supported use cases. You could create a feature request here and gather support from other developers looking for increased message size.

2. Thank you for identifying this misleading error response, sincerely. I will create an internal ticket so that this is addressed in the future.

[trevormil]

@adamdelphantom I understand. To provide closure on this issue, is it confirmed that it is a length error though?