Summary.

The bitcoin_address.rs module contains a critical vulnerability due to improper error handling using the expect method. This vulnerability can lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack by causing the application to crash when it encounters unexpected input. The issue arises in the derive_bitcoin_taproot_address function, where an assumption about successful conversion of an address to a TapNodeHash is made without proper validation.

Vulnerable code url

https://github.com/rooch-network/rooch/blob/main/frameworks/rooch-framework/src/natives/rooch_framework/bitcoin_address.rs

Vulnerable Code.

The vulnerability is located in the derive_bitcoin_taproot_address function:

let merkle_root = merkle_root.map(|addr| {
TapNodeHash::from_slice(addr.as_slice()).expect("address to merkle root should success")
});

Detailed Description

In the derive_bitcoin_taproot_address function, the code attempts to convert an AccountAddress to a TapNodeHash using the from_slice method. The expect method is used to handle the conversion result, assuming it will always succeed. If the conversion fails due to an invalid address format, the program will panic, leading to an abrupt termination of the application.

The expect method is generally used for debugging purposes and should not be used in production code where unexpected input can occur. Instead, proper error handling should be implemented to gracefully manage conversion failures.

Impact.

Denial of Service (DoS): The application will crash if it encounters an invalid address, resulting in service unavailability.
This can disrupt operations and affect users relying on the service.

Reliability Issues: Frequent crashes due to unhandled exceptions can undermine the reliability and stability of the application, leading to a loss of user trust and potential financial implications.
Exploitation Potential: An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing malformed input to intentionally crash the application, causing a denial of service.

Severity.

The severity of this issue is high due to the potential for denial of service and the significant impact on application reliability and user trust.

Proof of Concept (PoC).

To demonstrate the issue, follow these steps:

Setup: Ensure the application is running with the bitcoin_address.rs module integrated.

Trigger the Vulnerability:

Modify the input to the derive_bitcoin_taproot_address function to include an invalid AccountAddress that cannot be converted to a TapNodeHash.

Observe the Crash:

Run the application and observe that it crashes with a panic message: "address to merkle root should success".
Example Code to Trigger the Vulnerability
fn main() {
// Simulate an invalid address input
let invalid_address = AccountAddress::random(); // Assume this generates an invalid address for demonstration

// Call the vulnerable function
let result = derive_bitcoin_taproot_address(
    &FromBytesGasParametersOptional::zeros(),
    &mut NativeContext::default(),
    vec![],
    VecDeque::from(vec![Value::address(invalid_address), Value::vector_u8(vec![0; 32])]),
);

// The application will panic here
match result {
    Ok(_) => println!("Conversion succeeded."),
    Err(e) => println!("Conversion failed with error: {:?}", e),
}

}
Recommendation.

To mitigate this issue, replace the expect method with proper error handling. Use pattern matching or if let to handle the conversion result gracefully, returning an appropriate error if the conversion fails.

This approach ensures that the application can handle unexpected input without crashing.

Suggested Code Change
let merkle_root = merkle_root.map(|addr| {
TapNodeHash::from_slice(addr.as_slice()).map_err(|e| {
PartialVMError::new(StatusCode::UNKNOWN_INVARIANT_VIOLATION_ERROR)
.with_message(format!("Failed to convert address to root: {}", e))
})
})?;

Explanation of the Fix.

Error Handling: By replacing expect with map_err, we handle potential errors gracefully. If the conversion fails, an error is returned instead of causing a panic.
Error Messaging: The error message provides context about the failure, aiding in debugging and logging.