Project

Summary

In the MembershipFactory contract, an admin currently has the ability to update the membershipImplementation address used for creating new DAOMembership instances. However, a limitation arises because the initialize function, which is hardcoded in the create logic, must exist with the same function signature in any updated membershipImplementation contract. This restricts flexibility for the admin, who cannot use an upgraded implementation with an alternative initialization process without causing issues.

The current implementation hardcodes the initialize function in the creation logic as follows:

Vulnerability Details

When the membershipImplementation is updated, any new contract address provided must still support the same initialization function signature. Since the initialize function is hardcoded, the flexibility to change or modify the initialization process in the upgraded contract is limited. This restricts the admin from implementing potential upgrades that might use different initialization requirements, limiting the system’s adaptability and scalability over time.

Impact

Due to the hardcoded initialization function in the creation process, the admin is locked into using the exact same initialization function signature (initialize(string,string,string,address,address)) even after upgrading the membershipImplementation. This forces any new membershipImplementation to include a compatible initialize function with the same parameters, which constrains the contract's upgradeability and limits the admin’s ability to deploy future versions of membershipImplementation with different initialization requirements.

Tools Used

Manual review

Recommendations

To make the MembershipFactory contract more flexible and adaptable to upgrades, here are the proposed changes in code form:

1. Add a Signature Retrieval Function: Add a function in the membershipImplementation contract that returns the initialization function signature.

   // In the membership implementation contract

   function getInitializeSignature() external pure returns (string memory) {

   return "initialize(string,string,string,address,address)";

   }

2. Use Bytes for Initialization Parameters: Modify createNewDAOMembership to accept the initialization parameters as bytes. This will allow the factory to pass different sets of initialization parameters dynamically.

3. Parameter Validation Function: Add a function in the membershipImplementation to validate initialization parameters. This can help ensure that any parameters passed to the factory contract are compatible with the expected format.

4. Refactor Creation Logic to Fetch Signature and Validate Parameters: Update the createNewDAOMembership function in MembershipFactory to:

   • Retrieve the initialization signature from the membershipImplementation.

   • Encode and pass the initialization parameters as bytes.

   • Call the validation function to confirm parameter compatibility before deployment.

By implementing these changes, MembershipFactory will be able to dynamically adapt to updated membershipImplementation contracts with varying initialization requirements, enhancing both upgrade flexibility and maintainability.