Smart contracts have gained popularity due to their ability to execute actions automatically when specific conditions are met. While they are considered safer than traditional contracts, they are not without their flaws. The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology has developed a new framework, called VeriSolid, to make smart contracts easier to develop, verify, and ultimately, safer to use.
The Challenges of Smart Contract Development
Traditional smart contract development involves writing code that can be prone to errors and vulnerabilities. Identifying these issues, especially when interacting with other smart contracts, poses significant technical challenges. Additionally, while blockchain platforms guarantee the correct execution of smart contracts, they do not verify the accuracy of the code itself.
The researchers highlight the importance of more efficient verification tools to prevent security breaches and ensure that smart contracts fulfill their requirements. Existing tools and services often provide low-level feedback that may not be useful for developers. This limitation becomes critical when it comes to identifying and fixing problems in complex interactions between multiple smart contracts.
Introducing VeriSolid: A Model-Based Framework
To address the gap in smart contract verification, the researchers developed VeriSolid, a framework that utilizes an abstract-state machine-based model. This model executes the contract exactly as intended, allowing developers to analyze and verify the behavior of a set of interacting contracts at a high level of abstraction.
VeriSolid starts at the development stage by providing a high-level abstract model, which enables developers to express how the contract should work in a user-friendly manner. The use of abstract concepts instead of lines of programming language code makes it easier for humans to work with and understand.
Identifying and Fixing Problems
VeriSolid’s verification tools offer feedback at the higher level of abstraction, making it easier to identify problems in the smart contract. For example, in the case of an online auction, the feedback would pinpoint the issue of the highest bidder being able to change even after the auction has closed.
Verification before Deployment
One of the key advantages of VeriSolid is its ability to verify the smart contract before deployment. By generating Solidity code, the programming language for implementing smart contracts, from the verified model, developers can ensure that the contract is correct-by-design. This significantly reduces the likelihood of errors and vulnerabilities.
Deployment Diagrams for Specifying Interactions
VeriSolid introduces a graphical notation called deployment diagrams, which allows developers to specify possible interactions between different contract types. This enhances the framework’s capability to automate the verification, generation, and deployment of contracts. The high-level model form enables developers to specify desired properties for standalone and interacting smart contracts.
A Synchronized Framework for Verification and Deployment
VeriSolid offers a synchronized framework that combines verification and deployment. This allows developers to publish a verified smart contract on a blockchain network seamlessly. By streamlining the process, VeriSolid minimizes the likelihood of errors and vulnerabilities.
The development and use of smart contracts are on the rise, but their safety and reliability remain crucial concerns. The VeriSolid framework developed by the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology offers a promising solution to these challenges. By utilizing an abstract-state machine-based model, VeriSolid simplifies the development, verification, and deployment of smart contracts. With its ability to identify and address potential issues before deployment, VeriSolid enhances the overall safety and reliability of smart contracts in online transactions.
Leave a Reply