Puppy Raffle

AI First Flight #1
Beginner FriendlyFoundrySolidityNFT
EXP
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Submission Details
Severity: low
Valid

getActivePlayerIndex() Returns Ambiguous Results

Root + Impact

Description

  • The getActivePlayerIndex() function returns 0 both when a player is not found and when the player is at index 0. This ambiguity can lead to incorrect refunds or other logic errors. If a user at index 0 has already been refunded (address set to 0), another user checking their index will receive 0, potentially leading them to attempt refunding index 0 which will fail.

// Root cause in the codebase with @> marks to highlight the relevant section
function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (uint256) {
for (uint256 i = 0; i < players.length; i++) {
if (players[i] == player) {
return i;
}
}
return 0; // Ambiguous: could mean "not found" or "at index 0"
}

Risk

Likelihood:

  • The bug exists because the function returns a value that cannot uniquely represent contract state, violating safe contract design principles.

Impact:

  • Users may attempt to refund the wrong index, leading to failed transactions and poor user experience. Automated systems relying on this function cannot distinguish between a player at index 0 and a non-existent player.

Proof of Concept

Returning 0 as a default value is unsafe when 0 is also a valid index.

Always use:

  • A (bool found, uint256 index) tuple or

  • A sentinel value like type(uint256).max

// Scenario demonstrating the ambiguity:
// Player A enters at index 0
// Player B enters at index 1
// Player A refunds (index 0 becomes address(0))
// Player C (who never entered) calls getActivePlayerIndex(playerC)
// Returns: 0 (meaning "not found")
// Player A calls getActivePlayerIndex(playerA) after refunding
// Returns: 0 (even though A is no longer at index 0)
// Both get the same result despite different situations

Recommended Mitigation

Return a tuple or use a different pattern to indicate not found:

- remove this code
+ add this code
diff --git a/contracts/PuppyRaffle.sol b/contracts/PuppyRaffle.sol
index 1234567..abc9999 100644
--- a/contracts/PuppyRaffle.sol
+++ b/contracts/PuppyRaffle.sol
@@ -110,15 +110,18 @@ contract PuppyRaffle is ERC721, Ownable {
- function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (uint256) {
+ function getActivePlayerIndex(address player)
+ external
+ view
+ returns (bool found, uint256 index)
+ {
for (uint256 i = 0; i < players.length; i++) {
if (players[i] == player) {
- return i;
+ return (true, i);
}
}
- return 0;
+ return (false, 0);
}
}
Updates

Lead Judging Commences

ai-first-flight-judge Lead Judge about 3 hours ago
Submission Judgement Published
Validated
Assigned finding tags:

[L-01] Ambiguous index returned from PuppyRaffle::getActivePlayerIndex(address), leading to possible refund failures

## Description The `PuppyRaffle::getActivePlayerIndex(address)` returns `0` when the index of this player's address is not found, which is the same as if the player would have been found in the first element in the array. This can trick calling logic to think the address was found and then attempt to execute a `PuppyRaffle::refund(uint256)`. ## Vulnerability Details The `PuppyRaffle::refund()` function requires the index of the player's address to preform the requested refund. ```solidity /// @param playerIndex the index of the player to refund. You can find it externally by calling `getActivePlayerIndex` function refund(uint256 playerIndex) public; ``` In order to have this index, `PuppyRaffle::getActivePlayerIndex(address)` must be used to learn the correct value. ```solidity /// @notice a way to get the index in the array /// @param player the address of a player in the raffle /// @return the index of the player in the array, if they are not active, it returns 0 function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (int256) { // find the index... // if not found, then... return 0; } ``` The logic in this function returns `0` as the default, which is as stated in the `@return` NatSpec. However, this can create an issue when the calling logic checks the value and naturally assumes `0` is a valid index that points to the first element in the array. When the players array has at two or more players, calling `PuppyRaffle::refund()` with the incorrect index will result in a normal revert with the message "PuppyRaffle: Only the player can refund", which is fine and obviously expected. On the other hand, in the event a user attempts to perform a `PuppyRaffle::refund()` before a player has been added the EvmError will likely cause an outrageously large gas fee to be charged to the user. This test case can demonstrate the issue: ```solidity function testRefundWhenIndexIsOutOfBounds() public { int256 playerIndex = puppyRaffle.getActivePlayerIndex(playerOne); vm.prank(playerOne); puppyRaffle.refund(uint256(playerIndex)); } ``` The results of running this one test show about 9 ETH in gas: ```text Running 1 test for test/PuppyRaffleTest.t.sol:PuppyRaffleTest [FAIL. Reason: EvmError: Revert] testRefundWhenIndexIsOutOfBounds() (gas: 9079256848778899449) Test result: FAILED. 0 passed; 1 failed; 0 skipped; finished in 914.01µs ``` Additionally, in the very unlikely event that the first player to have entered attempts to preform a `PuppyRaffle::refund()` for another user who has not already entered the raffle, they will unwittingly refund their own entry. A scenario whereby this might happen would be if `playerOne` entered the raffle for themselves and 10 friends. Thinking that `nonPlayerEleven` had been included in the original list and has subsequently requested a `PuppyRaffle::refund()`. Accommodating the request, `playerOne` gets the index for `nonPlayerEleven`. Since the address does not exist as a player, `0` is returned to `playerOne` who then calls `PuppyRaffle::refund()`, thereby refunding their own entry. ## Impact 1. Exorbitantly high gas fees charged to user who might inadvertently request a refund before players have entered the raffle. 2. Inadvertent refunds given based in incorrect `playerIndex`. ## Recommendations 1. Ideally, the whole process can be simplified. Since only the `msg.sender` can request a refund for themselves, there is no reason why `PuppyRaffle::refund()` cannot do the entire process in one call. Consider refactoring and implementing the `PuppyRaffle::refund()` function in this manner: ```solidity /// @dev This function will allow there to be blank spots in the array function refund() public { require(_isActivePlayer(), "PuppyRaffle: Player is not active"); address playerAddress = msg.sender; payable(msg.sender).sendValue(entranceFee); for (uint256 playerIndex = 0; playerIndex < players.length; ++playerIndex) { if (players[playerIndex] == playerAddress) { players[playerIndex] = address(0); } } delete existingAddress[playerAddress]; emit RaffleRefunded(playerAddress); } ``` Which happens to take advantage of the existing and currently unused `PuppyRaffle::_isActivePlayer()` and eliminates the need for the index altogether. 2. Alternatively, if the existing process is necessary for the business case, then consider refactoring the `PuppyRaffle::getActivePlayerIndex(address)` function to return something other than a `uint` that could be mistaken for a valid array index. ```diff + int256 public constant INDEX_NOT_FOUND = -1; + function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (int256) { - function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (uint256) { for (uint256 i = 0; i < players.length; i++) { if (players[i] == player) { return int256(i); } } - return 0; + return INDEX_NOT_FOUND; } function refund(uint256 playerIndex) public { + require(playerIndex < players.length, "PuppyRaffle: No player for index"); ```

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