First Flight #22: Steaking
First Flight #22
Beginner FriendlyFoundryDeFi
100 EXP
View results
Previous Next
Submission Details
Severity: low
Valid

Lack of Error Handling in Staking Event Listener

abhishekthakur

Summary

The staking event listener lacks proper error handling mechanisms, potentially leading to unhandled exceptions, missed events, and system instability.

Vulnerability Details

Affected code - https://github.com/Cyfrin/2024-08-steaking/blob/main/steaking-server/src/main.js#L12-L35

steaking.on(STAKED, async (_, amount, onBehalfOf) => {
let steakPoints = await steakPointsModel.findOne({ walletAddress: onBehalfOf });
if (!steakPoints) {
steakPoints = new steakPointsModel({
walletAddress: onBehalfOf,
points: +ethers.formatEther(amount) * PRECISION,
});
} else {
steakPoints.points += +ethers.formatEther(amount) * PRECISION;
}
await steakPoints.save();
});

The current implementation of the staking event listener does not include try-catch blocks or any other form of error handling. This leaves the system vulnerable to crashes or unexpected behavior when encountering errors during event processing, such as database connection issues, network problems, or unexpected data formats.

Impact

There are following imapcts -

  • System Instability: Unhandled exceptions could crash the Node.js process, interrupting the service.

  • Missed Events: If the listener crashes, subsequent staking events might be missed until the service is restarted.

  • Data Inconsistency: Partial processing of an event before an error occurs could lead to inconsistencies between the blockchain state and the database.

  • Difficult Debugging: Lack of error logging makes identifying and fixing issues challenging.

Tools Used

Manual Review

Recommendations

Here are some recommendations that can be implemented -

  • Implement try-catch blocks

steaking.on(STAKED, async (_, amount, onBehalfOf) => {
try {
let steakPoints = await steakPointsModel.findOne({ walletAddress: onBehalfOf });
if (!steakPoints) {
steakPoints = new steakPointsModel({
walletAddress: onBehalfOf,
points: +ethers.formatEther(amount) * PRECISION,
});
} else {
steakPoints.points += +ethers.formatEther(amount) * PRECISION;
}
await steakPoints.save();
console.log(`Successfully processed stake: ${onBehalfOf} staked ${ethers.utils.formatEther(amount)} ETH`);
} catch (error) {
console.error(`Error processing stake event: ${error.message}`);
// Implement error reporting mechanism
}
});
​

  • Implement a retry mechanism for transient errors, such as temporary database connection issues.

  • Set up a monitoring system to alert administrators of repeated errors or critical failures.

  • Use a dedicated logging service for better traceability and easier debugging.

  • Implement an event acknowledgment system to ensure no events are missed in case of failures.

Updates

Lead Judging Commences

inallhonesty Lead Judge
10 months ago
inallhonesty Lead Judge 10 months ago
Submission Judgement Published
Validated
Assigned finding tags:

Lack of Error Handling in Staking Event Listener

Support

FAQs

Can't find an answer? Chat with us on Discord, Twitter or Linkedin.