Puppy Raffle

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

`PuppyRaffle::getActivePlayerIndex` returns 0 both for the first player and for an address that never entered

Root + Impact

Root cause: PuppyRaffle::getActivePlayerIndex returns 0 to signal "not found", but 0 is also the index of the first player.

Impact: the first entrant cannot distinguish "I am player zero" from "I am not in the raffle", and the function the protocol tells users to call before refund returns an answer that is indistinguishable from an error.

Description

  • The function is documented as the way a player locates their own index, and refund explicitly points to it: @param playerIndex the index of the player to refund. You can find it externally by calling getActivePlayerIndex.

  • The sentinel collides with a valid result. A player at index 0 and an address that never entered receive the identical answer, and nothing in the return value lets the caller tell them apart.

function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (uint256) {
for (uint256 i = 0; i < players.length; i++) {
if (players[i] == player) {
return i;
}
}
@> return 0; // 0 is also a legitimate index
}

Risk

Likelihood:

  • Every raffle has a player at index 0, so the ambiguity exists in every round.

  • A caller who refunded and asks again also gets 0, since the blanked slot no longer matches their address.

Impact:

  • The first entrant is misled into believing they are not registered and may skip a refund they are entitled to.

  • Integrations that treat 0 as "absent" will refuse to refund the first player; integrations that treat it as an index will call refund(0) on behalf of a non-participant, which then reverts on the ownership check. Either way the documented workflow is unreliable.

Proof of Concept

function test_indexZeroIsAmbiguous() public {
address[] memory p = new address[](4);
for (uint256 i = 0; i < 4; i++) p[i] = address(uint160(1000 + i));
puppyRaffle.enterRaffle{value: 4 ether}(p);
address firstPlayer = address(uint160(1000));
address strangerNeverEntered = address(uint160(9999));
// a real participant and a complete stranger get the same answer
assertEq(puppyRaffle.getActivePlayerIndex(firstPlayer), 0);
assertEq(puppyRaffle.getActivePlayerIndex(strangerNeverEntered), 0);
}

Control — any other participant gets a value that is unambiguous, confirming the problem is specific to the sentinel:

function test_otherIndicesAreUnambiguous() public {
address[] memory p = new address[](4);
for (uint256 i = 0; i < 4; i++) p[i] = address(uint160(1000 + i));
puppyRaffle.enterRaffle{value: 4 ether}(p);
assertEq(puppyRaffle.getActivePlayerIndex(address(uint160(1002))), 2);
}

Recommended Mitigation

Return a presence flag alongside the index, so absence has its own representation:

-function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (uint256) {
+function getActivePlayerIndex(address player) external view returns (uint256 index, bool found) {
for (uint256 i = 0; i < players.length; i++) {
if (players[i] == player) {
- return i;
+ return (i, true);
}
}
- return 0;
+ return (0, false);
}

Reverting with a custom error on absence is an equally valid alternative; what matters is that the "not present" answer can never be confused with a valid index.

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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