Block timestamp bounds

[doktor99]

I have noticed that sometimes block timestamps appear out of order. For example:


>> 142884 2011-08-28 05:23:00   1   50                   1805728.389   7144249.91789992   265.327   966.464   36.101%
>> 142883 2011-08-28 05:23:14   27   896.27036728   1805728.389   7144199.91789992   265.329   966.464   36.1009%

Block 142884 bears a timestamp which is 14 seconds earlier than the prior block.

I asked this question on #bitcoin-dev and got: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Block_timestamp, which makes sense.

My question is: how can the network afford for the timestamp to be up to 2 hrs advanced? Does this open the door to any kind of time based attack on the network?

Please add this to the appropriate thread or sub-forum. My posts are bound and limited to this forum, for now.

[1713584287]

1713584287

[jackjack]

You have to thank Luke-Jr (pool operator of our sacred Eligius, which put prayers in the blockchain for all our sins) for that shit
He deliberately put false timestamp because he wants one of his idea being accepted by the Bitcoin devs
A kind of blackmail

[theymos]

An attack has been identified that exploits that:
http://culubas.blogspot.com/2011/05/timejacking-bitcoin_802.html

[doktor99]

A full discussion appears to exist here: http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=10241.0