[SNIP-31] Enhancing StarkNet's Smart Contract Security through Standardized Auditing Procedures

📜 Development Proposals SNIPs
1

SNIP Title: Enhancing StarkNet’s Smart Contract Security through Standardized Auditing Procedures

Author: Pintea, Tudor

Abstract:

This proposal aims to enhance the security and reliability of smart contracts on StarkNet by establishing a standardized framework for auditing smart contracts. Given the critical role smart contracts play in blockchain ecosystems and the potential risks associated with vulnerabilities, a standardized auditing process is essential for maintaining the integrity and trust in the StarkNet platform.

Motivation:

  • Increasing Complexity of Smart Contracts: As smart contracts become more complex, the likelihood of vulnerabilities and bugs increases. Standardized auditing can mitigate these risks.
  • Consistency in Security Standards: Different developers and teams may have varying levels of expertise in smart contract security. A standardized approach ensures a consistent level of security across all contracts.
  • Community Trust and Adoption: A formal auditing process can increase the community’s trust in the smart contracts on StarkNet, thereby encouraging wider adoption.

Specification:

  • Audit Framework: Develop a comprehensive framework for auditing smart contracts, including guidelines, best practices, and common vulnerability checklists.
  • Certification Process: Introduce a certification process for audited contracts, providing a trust mark for users and developers.
  • Auditor Accreditation: Establish criteria for accrediting auditors or auditing firms to ensure high standards of review.
  • Community Involvement: Encourage community participation in the auditing process through bug bounties and public review periods.

Rationale:

  • Preventive Measure: Proactive auditing helps in identifying and rectifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
  • Standardization: Brings a level of standardization to the smart contract development process on StarkNet.
  • Enhanced Security Posture: Elevates the overall security posture of the StarkNet ecosystem.

Backward Compatibility:

  • This proposal does not affect existing contracts but sets a precedent for future developments.

Test Cases and Implementations:

  • Pilot audits of select smart contracts to refine the auditing framework.
  • Collaboration with existing smart contract auditing firms for insights and expertise.

Conclusion:

This SNIP aims to bolster the security infrastructure of StarkNet by introducing a standardized approach to smart contract auditing, thereby fostering a more secure and trusted environment for developers and users alike.
Certainly! Adding code snippets to the StarkNet Improvement Proposal (SNIP) can provide clarity and guidance on how some of the proposed ideas could be implemented. Let’s include some example code snippets that could be part of the SNIP focused on enhancing StarkNet’s smart contract security through standardized auditing procedures.

Example Code Snippets for the SNIP

1. Smart Contract Vulnerability Checklist Function

This function could be part of the audit framework, used to check for common vulnerabilities in smart contracts.

def check_vulnerabilities(contract_code):
    vulnerabilities = []

    # Example checks (these are simplified for illustration purposes)
    if "unsafeDelegatecall" in contract_code:
        vulnerabilities.append("Potential Delegate Call Vulnerability")
    if "reentrancyGuard" not in contract_code:
        vulnerabilities.append("Missing Reentrancy Guard")

    return vulnerabilities

2. Smart Contract Audit Certification

Code snippet for a function that marks a contract as audited and certified.

def certify_contract(contract_address, auditor_address):
    # Assuming a mapping of contract addresses to their audit status
    contract_audit_status[contract_address] = {
        "audited": True,
        "auditor": auditor_address,
        "timestamp": current_block_timestamp()
    }

3. Auditor Accreditation Registration

Function to register accredited auditors in the system.

def register_auditor(auditor_address, credentials):
    # Verify auditor's credentials
    if verify_credentials(credentials):
        accredited_auditors.add(auditor_address)
    else:
        raise Exception("Invalid auditor credentials")

4. Bug Bounty Submission and Review

Code for submitting and reviewing bug bounty reports.

def submit_bug_report(contract_address, description, reporter):
    bug_reports[contract_address].append({
        "description": description,
        "reporter": reporter,
        "status": "submitted"
    })

def review_bug_report(contract_address, report_id, review_outcome):
    report = bug_reports[contract_address][report_id]
    report["status"] = review_outcome

5. Audit Result Publishing

Function to publish audit results for a smart contract.

def publish_audit_results(contract_address, audit_report):
    audit_publication[contract_address] = audit_report

Implementation Notes

  • These code snippets are highly simplified and conceptual. In a real-world scenario, they would need to be much more detailed and secure.
  • They should be developed and tested in a StarkNet development environment, considering the unique aspects of StarkNet’s architecture and Cairo language.
  • Integration with existing smart contract development tools and processes on StarkNet would be essential for smooth implementation.

This is just a template and would need further refinement, community input, and technical details specific to StarkNet’s architecture and ecosystem.