Implement access control measures

Oct 13, 2025 by pinkandtrash.com 82 views

Damaged Cerulean Perch: A Critical Vulnerability in SymmStaking.sol

Introduction

In the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency, security is paramount. A single vulnerability can have far-reaching consequences, compromising the integrity of an entire ecosystem. In this article, we will delve into a critical issue affecting the SymmStaking.sol contract, a damaged cerulean perch that can be exploited by attackers to DOS (Denial of Service) the reward manager, effectively removing the whitelist for tokens by keeping their pendingRewards greater than 10.

The Vulnerability: A Lack of Access Control

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the unrestricted access to the notifyRewardAmount() function in the SymmStaking.sol contract. This function allows anyone to call it and increase the pendingRewards[token] value, which in turn prevents blacklisting if the pendingRewards[token] > 10 in the configureRewardToken() function. This lack of access control creates a gaping hole that an attacker can exploit to disrupt the reward manager's ability to blacklist unwanted tokens.

The Attack Path

The attack path is relatively straightforward:

Initial Setup: The reward manager needs to call the configureRewardToken() function to set isRewardToken[token] to true.
Attack: The attacker calls the notifyRewardAmount() function with some value to increase pendingRewards[token] above 10.
Revert: The reward manager attempts to call the configureRewardToken(token, false) function to blacklist the token, but it reverts due to the increased pendingRewards[token] value.

Impact: A Denial of Service

The impact of this vulnerability is significant. The reward manager is unable to blacklist unwanted tokens, effectively creating a denial of service (DoS) scenario. This can have far-reaching consequences, including:

Token Blacklisting: The reward manager is unable to blacklist tokens that are no longer desired, leading to a cluttered and inefficient reward system.
Resource Exhaustion: The repeated calls to the notifyRewardAmount() function can lead to resource exhaustion, causing the contract to become unresponsive and potentially leading to a complete system failure.

Proof of Concept (PoC)

Unfortunately, there is no response from the developers regarding a proof of concept (PoC) for this vulnerability. This lack of response raises concerns about the severity of the issue and the potential for exploitation.

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, the developers should implement access control measures to restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function. This can be achieved by:

Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assign specific roles to users and restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function based on their role.
Using a Whitelist: Implement a whitelist to restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function to only authorized users or contracts.

Conclusion

The damaged cerulean perch in the SymmStaking.sol contract is a critical vulnerability that can be exploited by attackers to DOS the reward manager, effectively removing the whitelist for tokens by keeping their pendingRewards greater than 10. The lack of access control and the attack path make this vulnerability a high-priority issue that requires immediate attention from the developers. By implementing access control measures and a whitelist, the developers can mitigate this vulnerability and ensure the integrity of the reward system.

Recommendations

Based on the analysis of this vulnerability, we recommend the following:

Implement access control measures: Restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function using role-based access control (RBAC) or a whitelist.
Conduct a thorough security audit: Perform a comprehensive security audit to identify and address any other potential vulnerabilities in the contract.
Provide a proof of concept (PoC): Provide a PoC for this vulnerability to demonstrate the severity of the issue and the potential for exploitation.

By following these recommendations, the developers can ensure the security and integrity of the SymmStaking.sol contract and prevent potential attacks.
Damaged Cerulean Perch: A Critical Vulnerability in SymmStaking.sol - Q&A

Introduction

In our previous article, we discussed a critical vulnerability in the SymmStaking.sol contract, known as the damaged cerulean perch. This vulnerability allows attackers to DOS (Denial of Service) the reward manager, effectively removing the whitelist for tokens by keeping their pendingRewards greater than 10. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about this vulnerability.

Q: What is the damaged cerulean perch vulnerability?

A: The damaged cerulean perch is a critical vulnerability in the SymmStaking.sol contract that allows attackers to DOS the reward manager, effectively removing the whitelist for tokens by keeping their pendingRewards greater than 10.

Q: What is the root cause of this vulnerability?

A: The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of access control on the notifyRewardAmount() function in the SymmStaking.sol contract. This function allows anyone to call it and increase the pendingRewards[token] value, which in turn prevents blacklisting if the pendingRewards[token] > 10 in the configureRewardToken() function.

Q: What is the attack path for this vulnerability?

A: The attack path for this vulnerability is as follows:

Initial Setup: The reward manager needs to call the configureRewardToken() function to set isRewardToken[token] to true.
Attack: The attacker calls the notifyRewardAmount() function with some value to increase pendingRewards[token] above 10.
Revert: The reward manager attempts to call the configureRewardToken(token, false) function to blacklist the token, but it reverts due to the increased pendingRewards[token] value.

Q: What is the impact of this vulnerability?

A: The impact of this vulnerability is significant. The reward manager is unable to blacklist unwanted tokens, effectively creating a denial of service (DoS) scenario. This can have far-reaching consequences, including:

Token Blacklisting: The reward manager is unable to blacklist tokens that are no longer desired, leading to a cluttered and inefficient reward system.
Resource Exhaustion: The repeated calls to the notifyRewardAmount() function can lead to resource exhaustion, causing the contract to become unresponsive and potentially leading to a complete system failure.

Q: How can the damaged cerulean perch vulnerability be mitigated?

A: The damaged cerulean perch vulnerability can be mitigated by implementing access control measures to restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function. This can be achieved by:

Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assign specific roles to users and restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function based on their role.
Using a Whitelist: Implement a whitelist to restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function to only authorized users or contracts.

Q: Is there a proof of concept (PoC) for this vulnerability?

A: Unfortunately, there is no response from the developers regarding a proof of concept (PoC) for this vulnerability. This lack of response raises concerns about the severity of the issue and the potential for exploitation.

Q: What are the recommendations for mitigating this vulnerability?

A: Based on the analysis of this vulnerability, we recommend the following:

Implement access control measures: Restrict access to the notifyRewardAmount() function using role-based access control (RBAC) or a whitelist.
Conduct a thorough security audit: Perform a comprehensive security audit to identify and address any other potential vulnerabilities in the contract.
Provide a proof of concept (PoC): Provide a PoC for this vulnerability to demonstrate the severity of the issue and the potential for exploitation.

Conclusion

The damaged cerulean perch vulnerability in the SymmStaking.sol contract is a critical issue that requires immediate attention from the developers. By implementing access control measures and a whitelist, the developers can mitigate this vulnerability and ensure the integrity of the reward system. We hope that this Q&A article has provided valuable information and insights into this vulnerability.