_Follow along with this video:_ --- ### End of Part 1 What a journey it's been so far! Getting through the first part of this majorly intense curriculum deserves a massive round of applause. We've covered a variety of crucial topics. We've learnt about: - MEV - Signature Replay - Reentrancy Attacks - The Audit Process - Multiple Auditing Strategies - The Tincho - The Hans - Testing Methods - stateless and stateful fuzzing - invariants - Arbitrage - DeFi - Borrowing/Lending - Flash Loans - Uniswap - Compound - EVM Compatibility between chains - Verifiable Randomness - Centralization - Denial of Service - Failure to Initiate - Access Control - Oracle Manipulation ...and so much more. In completing this course, and the last 5 section specifically, you've built up a portfolio to show case what you've learnt and what you're capable of as a security researcher. I've said it since the beginning, the way to get better is by continuing to practice this skill: > ❗ **IMPORTANT** > "Repetition is the mother of skill." So, what's next? Well, the one code base I've alluded to, but we didn't go through together is `Vault Guardians`. As I mentioned before, this is _the most_ challenging security review out of any we've done til now. `Vault Guardians` may be the largest code base and we learnt that often the bugs you find won't show themselves until the end of a review, this can tend to make reviewing longer code bases as being demoralizing and overwhelming. This is normal. Take a deep breath. You've got this. You have 5 security reviews worth of experience and you have the tools and a game plan to approach harder things. Remember the steps of our process: 1. Initial Review a. Scoping b. Reconnaissance c. Vulnerability identification d. Reporting ### The Game Plan **1. Scoping** Begin with scope identification. Determine what you're working with - the commit hash, the compatibilities, the chains, and the tokens. **2. High-Level Analysis** Next, aim to understand what the code is supposed to achieve. Read the documentation, discuss with the team, make diagrams, take notes. Dump all your thoughts down on paper. **3. Code Comprehension** Time to dive into the code. It’s okay if you don’t find anything at first – that's normal. Simply aim to interpret the code. Ask yourself: Is the code doing what the protocol intends it to do? **4. Identifying Vulnerabilities** Your final mission is the most challenging - finding vulnerabilities. Use your checklist for guidance, leverage the strategies we've used over and over like `The Tincho`. Assess the test suite, write stateful fuzzing test. Now's your chance to put your skills to work and break the thing. ### Testing Your Skills The Vault Guardians code base offers greater complexity than any previous codebases. Embrace this new level of difficulty, and challenge yourself. It's how you improve. > ❗ **PROTIP** > Vault Guardians can be daunting, consider teaming up with a fellow student to tackle this challenge! Find someone on the [**Cyfrin Discord**](https://discord.gg/cyfrin). ### A Valuable Detour > ❗ **IMPORTANT** > **DO NOT GO TO PART 2** Now, it's time. You have 2 options. \*_Option 1: Compete in a real competitive audit on platforms like Code Hawks. The excitement of the competition will keep you on edge and the real code base is sure to test all your abilities_. \*_Option 2: Pair up and tackle the Vault Guardians codebase as a learning experience._ ### Wrap Up 1. First of all, great job! By just getting this far, you outdo more than 70% of the current security landscape. 2. Do not move to part two yet. Either try your hand at a CodeHawks competitive audit or complete the Vault Guardians audit with a partner. Remember your security journey is far from over. Part two is where we (will) dig even deeper into `Assembly`, `EVM`, `formal verification`, and `post deployment best practices`. Good luck!!! <details> <summary>Super Secret Alpha</summary> For real, go do Vault Guardians, or a real audit. See you soon. <3 </details>
Follow along with this video:
What a journey it's been so far!
Getting through the first part of this majorly intense curriculum deserves a massive round of applause. We've covered a variety of crucial topics. We've learnt about:
MEV
Signature Replay
Reentrancy Attacks
The Audit Process
Multiple Auditing Strategies
The Tincho
The Hans
Testing Methods
stateless and stateful fuzzing
invariants
Arbitrage
DeFi
Borrowing/Lending
Flash Loans
Uniswap
Compound
EVM Compatibility between chains
Verifiable Randomness
Centralization
Denial of Service
Failure to Initiate
Access Control
Oracle Manipulation
...and so much more.
In completing this course, and the last 5 section specifically, you've built up a portfolio to show case what you've learnt and what you're capable of as a security researcher. I've said it since the beginning, the way to get better is by continuing to practice this skill:
❗ IMPORTANT
"Repetition is the mother of skill."
So, what's next?
Well, the one code base I've alluded to, but we didn't go through together is Vault Guardians. As I mentioned before, this is the most challenging security review out of any we've done til now. Vault Guardians may be the largest code base and we learnt that often the bugs you find won't show themselves until the end of a review, this can tend to make reviewing longer code bases as being demoralizing and overwhelming.
This is normal. Take a deep breath. You've got this. You have 5 security reviews worth of experience and you have the tools and a game plan to approach harder things.
Remember the steps of our process:
Initial Review
a. Scoping
b. Reconnaissance
c. Vulnerability identification
d. Reporting
1. Scoping
Begin with scope identification. Determine what you're working with - the commit hash, the compatibilities, the chains, and the tokens.
2. High-Level Analysis
Next, aim to understand what the code is supposed to achieve. Read the documentation, discuss with the team, make diagrams, take notes. Dump all your thoughts down on paper.
3. Code Comprehension
Time to dive into the code. It’s okay if you don’t find anything at first – that's normal. Simply aim to interpret the code. Ask yourself: Is the code doing what the protocol intends it to do?
4. Identifying Vulnerabilities
Your final mission is the most challenging - finding vulnerabilities. Use your checklist for guidance, leverage the strategies we've used over and over like The Tincho. Assess the test suite, write stateful fuzzing test. Now's your chance to put your skills to work and break the thing.
The Vault Guardians code base offers greater complexity than any previous codebases. Embrace this new level of difficulty, and challenge yourself. It's how you improve.
❗ PROTIP
Vault Guardians can be daunting, consider teaming up with a fellow student to tackle this challenge! Find someone on the Cyfrin Discord.
❗ IMPORTANT > DO NOT GO TO PART 2
Now, it's time. You have 2 options.
*Option 1: Compete in a real competitive audit on platforms like Code Hawks. The excitement of the competition will keep you on edge and the real code base is sure to test all your abilities.
*Option 2: Pair up and tackle the Vault Guardians codebase as a learning experience.
First of all, great job! By just getting this far, you outdo more than 70% of the current security landscape.
Do not move to part two yet. Either try your hand at a CodeHawks competitive audit or complete the Vault Guardians audit with a partner.
Remember your security journey is far from over. Part two is where we (will) dig even deeper into Assembly, EVM, formal verification, and post deployment best practices.
Good luck!!!
For real, go do Vault Guardians, or a real audit. See you soon. <3
A final recap and congratulations for completion of Part 1 of the Security Course! Well done!