Related papers: Not so immutable: Upgradeability of Smart Contract…
In this work, we provide a comprehensive survey of smart contract upgradability patterns using proxies. A primary characteristic of smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain is that they are immutable once implemented, no changes can be…
Context: Smart contracts are computerized self-executing contracts that contain clauses, which are enforced once certain conditions are met. Smart contracts are immutable by design and cannot be modified once deployed, which ensures…
Smart contracts, known for their immutable nature to ensure trust via automated enforcement, have evolved to require upgradeability due to unforeseen vulnerabilities and the need for feature enhancements post-deployment. This contradiction…
Upgradable smart contracts play an important role in the decentralized application ecosystem, to support routine maintenance, security patching, and feature additions. In this paper, we conduct an empirical study on proxy-based upgradable…
The immutability of smart contracts on blockchain platforms like Ethereum promotes security and trustworthiness but presents challenges for updates, bug fixes, or adding new features post-deployment. These limitations can lead to…
The emergence of blockchain technology has revolutionized contract execution through the introduction of smart contracts. Ethereum, the leading blockchain platform, leverages smart contracts to power decentralized applications (DApps),…
Smart contracts are programs running on a blockchain. They are immutable to change, and hence can not be patched for bugs once deployed. Thus it is critical to ensure they are bug-free and well-designed before deployment. A Contract defect…
Recent attacks exploiting errors in smart contract code had devastating consequences thereby questioning the benefits of this technology. It is currently highly challenging to fix errors and deploy a patched contract in time. Instant…
Smart contract is a special program that manages digital assets on blockchain. It is difficult to recover the loss if users make transactions through buggy smart contracts, which cannot be directly fixed. Hence, it is important to ensure…
Blockchain technology has revolutionized contractual processes, enhancing efficiency and trust through smart contracts. Ethereum, as a pioneer in this domain, offers a platform for decentralized applications but is challenged by the…
Smart contracts are self-executing programs on blockchain platforms like Ethereum, which have revolutionized decentralized finance by enabling trustless transactions and the operation of decentralized applications. Despite their potential,…
Smart contracts are immutable, verifiable, and autonomous pieces of code that can be deployed and ran on blockchain networks like Ethereum. Due to the immutability nature of blockchain, no change is possible on a deployed smart contract or…
Ethereum smart contracts are highly powerful, immutable, and able to retain massive amounts of tokens. However, smart contracts keep attracting attackers to benefit from smart contract flaws and Ethereum unexpected behavior. Thus,…
The rise of decentralized applications (dApps) has made smart contracts imperative components of blockchain technology. As many smart contracts process financial transactions, their security is paramount. Moreover, the immutability of…
Smart contracts are computer programs that can be consistently executed by a network of mutually distrusting nodes, without the arbitration of a trusted authority. Because of their resilience to tampering, smart contracts are appealing in…
An important problem in smart contract security is understanding the likelihood and criticality of discovered, or potential, weaknesses in contracts. In this paper we provide a summary of Ethereum smart contract audits performed for 23…
Smart contracts are Turing-complete programs running on the blockchain. They cannot be modified, even when bugs are detected. The Selfdestruct function is the only way to destroy a contract on the blockchain system and transfer all the…
Turing completeness has made Ethereum smart contracts attractive to blockchain developers and attackers alike. To increase code security, many tools can now spot most known vulnerabilities$-$at the cost of production efficiency. Recent…
Upgradeable smart contracts (USCs) have been widely adopted to enable modifying deployed smart contracts. While USCs bring great flexibility to developers, improper usage might introduce new security issues, potentially allowing attackers…
In this paper, we present the first large-scale empirical study of smart contract dependencies, analyzing over 41 million contracts and 11 billion interactions on Ethereum up to December 2024. Our results yield four key insights: (1) 59% of…