A Web3 researcher was awarded $150,000 for discovering a critical bug in the Evmos blockchain, emphasizing the importance of thorough documentation review in blockchain security.
A Web3 security researcher has been awarded $150,000 by the Cosmos Network for identifying a critical bug that posed a significant risk to the Evmos blockchain and its decentralized applications (DApps). This discovery highlights the importance of thorough documentation review in blockchain security.
On October 29, the researcher, known by the pseudonym jayjonah.eth and affiliated with Spearbit, shared his findings in a blog post. He explained that his investigation began with a review of the Cosmos documentation, where he encountered the concept of "module accounts."
In the documentation, it was noted that:
"Typically, these addresses are module accounts. If these addresses receive funds outside the expected rules of the state machine, invariants are likely to be broken and could result in a halted network."
This statement raised a red flag for jayjonah.eth, prompting him to test the theory by sending funds to the module accounts. His tests confirmed that doing so would indeed halt the blockchain, effectively breaking the Evmos network and all associated DApps.
The Evmos Bug Bounty Program, active since November 2022, incentivizes developers and researchers to identify vulnerabilities within the blockchain. This program is part of a broader trend in the crypto industry, where projects are increasingly launching bug bounties to enhance security.
The payout of $150,000 represents the highest reward for a critical bug under this program. The researcher emphasized that the bug was a "low-hanging fruit," indicating that it was simple yet easily overlooked by others.
In his reflections, jayjonah.eth stressed the significance of thoroughly reading project documentation. He stated:
"This bug taught me a few important things as a security researcher. The first, and most obvious, is to always thoroughly read the documentation of the project you’re investigating."
This incident serves as a reminder that even minor oversights in documentation can lead to significant vulnerabilities in blockchain systems.
The discovery of this bug not only averted potential disaster for the Evmos blockchain but also underscores the critical role of security researchers in the crypto space. Other projects, such as Layer3 and the Ethereum Foundation, have also initiated bug bounty programs to bolster their security measures.
As the crypto landscape continues to evolve, the collaboration between developers and security researchers will be essential in mitigating risks and ensuring the integrity of blockchain networks.
In conclusion, the $150,000 bounty awarded to jayjonah.eth highlights the importance of vigilance in blockchain security and the value of comprehensive documentation review in identifying potential vulnerabilities.
