Last Trove may be prevented from redeeming

[code423n4]

Lines of code

https://github.com/code-423n4/2023-02-ethos/blob/73687f32b934c9d697b97745356cdf8a1f264955/Ethos-Core/contracts/RedemptionHelper.sol#L128

Vulnerability details

Impact

In redeemCollateral() of RedemptionHelper.sol, the LUSD balanceOf the redeemer is checked against the specific collateral recorded LUSD debt (both active and defaulted).

function redeemCollateral(
        address _collateral,
        address _redeemer,
        uint _LUSDamount,
        address _firstRedemptionHint,
        address _upperPartialRedemptionHint,
        address _lowerPartialRedemptionHint,
        uint _partialRedemptionHintNICR,
        uint _maxIterations,
        uint _maxFeePercentage
    )
        external override
    {
        _requireCallerIsTroveManager();
        _requireValidCollateralAddress(_collateral);
        RedemptionTotals memory totals;

        _requireValidMaxFeePercentage(_maxFeePercentage);
        _requireAfterBootstrapPeriod();
        totals.price = priceFeed.fetchPrice(_collateral);
        ICollateralConfig collateralConfigCached = collateralConfig;
        totals.collDecimals = collateralConfigCached.getCollateralDecimals(_collateral);
        totals.collMCR = collateralConfigCached.getCollateralMCR(_collateral);
        _requireTCRoverMCR(_collateral, totals.price, totals.collDecimals, totals.collMCR);
        _requireAmountGreaterThanZero(_LUSDamount);
        _requireLUSDBalanceCoversRedemption(lusdToken, _redeemer, _LUSDamount);

        totals.totalLUSDSupplyAtStart = getEntireSystemDebt(_collateral);
        // Confirm redeemer's balance is less than total LUSD supply
        assert(lusdToken.balanceOf(_redeemer) <= totals.totalLUSDSupplyAtStart);
        ...
}

This makes sense in a single collateral system such as Liquity, but is problematic in a multi-collateral one like Reserve. Since each collateral type tracks its own debt but mints the same LUSD token, LUSD supply (and thus balance) being less than the collateral debt is no longer an invariant. This can can result in:

• Last trove may be prevented from redeeming by griefers.
• Users that deposit into multiple Trove types may be prevented from redeeming.

Proof of Concept

Last trove may be prevented from redeeming

Consider the cases when

- There are 2 Trove types (wBTC and wETH). 
- There is 10000 total LUSD debt in the wBTC Troves.
- Stability Pool has 150 LUSD deposited i.e. full liquidity to offset debt.
- There is 100 total LUSD debt in the wETH pool.
- ETH prices crash and all Troves get liquidated except the last one.

A griefer can front-run the last Trove from redeeming by sending the user weth with the amount entireSystemDebt + 1.

In a similar case as above, any users that may borrow from multiple Troves types such that their LUSD balance is greater than the total collateral debt will be prevented from redeeming. However, this is not as problematic because they can just send their excess tokens out.

Tools Used

Manual Review

Recommended Mitigation Steps

• Consider removing this check as the invariant no longer applies

[c4-judge]

trust1995 marked the issue as primary issue

[c4-judge]

trust1995 marked the issue as satisfactory

[tess3rac7]

dupe #549 leaving up to judge how to handle

[c4-sponsor]

tess3rac7 requested judge review

[c4-judge]

trust1995 marked the issue as duplicate of #549

[c4-judge]

trust1995 marked the issue as selected for report