SmartBugs 2.0: An Execution Framework for Weakness Detection in Ethereum Smart Contracts (2306.05057v1)

Abstract: Smart contracts are blockchain programs that often handle valuable assets. Writing secure smart contracts is far from trivial, and any vulnerability may lead to significant financial losses. To support developers in identifying and eliminating vulnerabilities, methods and tools for the automated analysis have been proposed. However, the lack of commonly accepted benchmark suites and performance metrics makes it difficult to compare and evaluate such tools. Moreover, the tools are heterogeneous in their interfaces and reports as well as their runtime requirements, and installing several tools is time-consuming. In this paper, we present SmartBugs 2.0, a modular execution framework. It provides a uniform interface to 19 tools aimed at smart contract analysis and accepts both Solidity source code and EVM bytecode as input. After describing its architecture, we highlight the features of the framework. We evaluate the framework via its reception by the community and illustrate its scalability by describing its role in a study involving 3.25 million analyses.

Overview of "SmartBugs 2.0: An Execution Framework for Weakness Detection in Ethereum Smart Contracts"

The paper introduces "SmartBugs 2.0," an execution framework designed to enhance the detection of vulnerabilities in Ethereum smart contracts. This framework serves a pivotal role in automating the analysis process, thereby providing a consistent interface for security tools used in smart contract assessments.

Framework Capabilities

SmartBugs 2.0 addresses significant challenges in the smart contract landscape. It integrates 19 diverse tools, accommodating both Solidity source code and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode. This flexibility allows for comprehensive analyses, including contracts deployed without available source code. The framework employs a Docker-based approach, ensuring modular tool integration and process isolation.

Key advancements over its predecessor include:

• Bytecode Analysis: Unlike the initial version, SmartBugs 2.0 supports analysis directly at the bytecode level, which is essential for assessing deployed contracts lacking source code.
• Tool Expansion: Eight new tools have been incorporated, expanding the analytical capabilities and fostering a more extensive vulnerability assessment.

Architectural Features

SmartBugs 2.0 is architecturally robust, featuring a task builder, runner, and analyzers. This structure supports parallel and randomized execution of tasks, optimizing resource utilization. The integration of proper Solidity compilers, determined via pragma directives in source code, enhances compatibility across diverse contract versions without unnecessary redundancy.

The output is standardized into JSON and SARIF formats, promoting seamless integration into CI workflows. This standardization is complemented by a mapping to the SWC Registry, a comprehensive taxonomy of smart contract vulnerabilities, facilitating comparative analysis across tools.

Evaluation and Community Reception

The evaluation methodology showcased the tool's scalability, evidenced by its use in studies analyzing hundreds of thousands of contracts, reporting over 1.3 million weaknesses in total. This extensive testing validated the framework's performance under large-scale conditions.

Community engagement metrics underscore the project's impact, with notable adoption reflected in GitHub stars, forks, and active issue discussions. SmartBugs is a significant contribution to both academic and practical domains, serving as a critical asset for developers, analysts, and researchers alike.

Future Directions

SmartBugs 2.0 sets a foundation for further development in automated smart contract analysis. Future enhancements may include:

• Historic Compiler Support: Expanding backward compatibility by incorporating older compiler versions to accommodate legacy contracts.
• Complex Source Handling: Improving support for multi-file contracts, which are common in large-scale projects, could increase the framework’s utility.
• Source Code Mapping: Enhancing bytecode analysis with source code line mappings will provide more actionable insights from detected vulnerabilities.

SmartBugs 2.0 is a vital tool in the domain of blockchain security, providing a comprehensive and adaptable framework for vulnerability detection. Its continued evolution will likely parallel advances in smart contract languages and security methodologies, reinforcing its relevance and utility.