Limitations of Current Storage Structure

Oct 13, 2025 by thesweetdesigns.com 4 views

Introduction

In the context of smart contract development, optimizing storage variables is crucial for improving gas efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. The CandidateAddOn and OperatorManager contracts in the Tokamak Network's staking protocol are no exception. In this article, we will explore the current storage structure, its limitations, and propose a more efficient solution using storage slots.

Current Storage Structure

The CandidateAddOn and OperatorManager contracts store a total of 8 addresses in their storage variables. These addresses include:

TON and WTON addresses
SeigManager and DepositManager addresses
Layer2Manager address

The storage structure is implemented using the initialize function in the CandidateAddOn contract and the setAddresses function in the OperatorManager contract.

function initialize(
    address _operateContract,
    string memory _memo,
    address _committee,
    address _seigManager,
    address _ton,
    address _wton
) external onlyOwner  {
    // ...
}

function setAddresses(address _layer2Manager, address _depositManager, address _ton, address _wton)
    external
    nonZeroAddress(_layer2Manager) nonZeroAddress(_depositManager)
    nonZeroAddress(_ton) nonZeroAddress(_wton) onlyOwner
{
    // ...
}

Limitations of Current Storage Structure

The current storage structure has several limitations:

Gas Efficiency: Storing a single storage variable costs at least 15,000 gas, making it an inefficient solution.
Complexity: Changing the address stored in this way requires a complex process of changing the addresses of all contracts.
Maintenance: The current structure is disadvantageous in terms of maintenance, as it requires manual updates and can lead to errors.

Proposed Solution: Using Storage Slots

To improve the storage structure, we propose using storage slots to store the addresses. This approach allows for a more efficient and scalable solution.

contract TokamakNetworkAddressBook is Ownable {
    // ...

    function ton() public view returns (address addr) {
        assembly {
            addr := sload(_TON_ADDRESS_SLOT)
        }
    }

    function setTon(address newTon) public onlyOwner {
        assembly {
            sstore(_TON_ADDRESS_SLOT, newTon)
        }
    }

    // ...
}

In this proposed solution, we define a contract called TokamakNetworkAddressBook that stores the addresses in storage slots. The ton function returns the TON address stored in the _TON_ADDRESS_SLOT slot, and the setTon function updates the TON address stored in the same slot.

Benefits of Proposed Solution

The proposed solution offers several benefits:

Improved Gas Efficiency: Using storage slots reduces the gas cost of storing a single variable to a negligible amount.
Simplified Maintenance: The proposed solution simplifies maintenance by allowing for easy updates and reducing the risk of errors.
Scalability: The proposed solution is more scalable, as it allows for easy addition of new addresses and contracts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the current storage structure in the CandidateAddOn and OperatorManager contracts has several limitations, including gas inefficiency, complexity, and maintenance disadvantages. The proposed solution using storage slots offers a more efficient, scalable, and maintainable solution. By adopting this approach, the Tokamak Network's staking protocol can improve its overall performance and reduce costs.

Code to Reproduce Bug

To reproduce the bug, you can use the following code:

contract CandidateAddOn {
    address public ton;
    address public wton;

    function initialize(address _ton, address _wton) public {
        ton = _ton;
        wton = _wton;
    }

    function getTon() public view returns (address) {
        return ton;
    }

    function getWton() public view returns (address) {
        return wton;
    }
}

Environment

The bug was found in the CandidateAddOn contract, which is part of the Tokamak Network's staking protocol.

Using Branch

The bug was found in the v2.5-audit-hammer branch.

Expected Behavior

The expected behavior is that the getTon and getWton functions return the correct addresses.

Screenshots

No screenshots are available for this bug.

Additional Context

No additional context is available for this bug.

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the current storage structure in the CandidateAddOn and OperatorManager contracts in the Tokamak Network's staking protocol and proposed a more efficient solution using storage slots. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the proposed solution.

Q: What is the current storage structure in the CandidateAddOn and OperatorManager contracts?

A: The current storage structure stores a total of 8 addresses in their storage variables, including TON and WTON addresses, SeigManager and DepositManager addresses, and Layer2Manager address.

Q: What are the limitations of the current storage structure?

A: The current storage structure has several limitations, including gas inefficiency, complexity, and maintenance disadvantages.

Q: How does the proposed solution using storage slots improve the storage structure?

A: The proposed solution using storage slots reduces the gas cost of storing a single variable to a negligible amount, simplifies maintenance by allowing for easy updates and reducing the risk of errors, and is more scalable, allowing for easy addition of new addresses and contracts.

Q: What are the benefits of using storage slots?

A: The benefits of using storage slots include improved gas efficiency, simplified maintenance, and scalability.

Q: How does the proposed solution affect the performance of the Tokamak Network's staking protocol?

A: The proposed solution improves the performance of the Tokamak Network's staking protocol by reducing gas costs, simplifying maintenance, and increasing scalability.

Q: Can the proposed solution be applied to other contracts in the Tokamak Network's staking protocol?

A: Yes, the proposed solution can be applied to other contracts in the Tokamak Network's staking protocol to improve their performance and reduce costs.

Q: What is the expected outcome of implementing the proposed solution?

A: The expected outcome of implementing the proposed solution is improved performance, reduced costs, and increased scalability of the Tokamak Network's staking protocol.

Q: How can the proposed solution be implemented?

A: The proposed solution can be implemented by modifying the storage structure of the CandidateAddOn and OperatorManager contracts to use storage slots.

Q: What are the potential risks associated with implementing the proposed solution?

A: The potential risks associated with implementing the proposed solution include changes to the contract's behavior, potential errors, and compatibility issues with other contracts.

Q: How can the potential risks associated with implementing the proposed solution be mitigated?

A: The potential risks associated with implementing the proposed solution can be mitigated by thoroughly testing the modified contracts, ensuring compatibility with other contracts, and implementing proper error handling mechanisms.

Q: What is the timeline for implementing the proposed solution?

A: The timeline for implementing the proposed solution will depend on the complexity of the modifications and the availability of resources.

Q: Who is responsible for implementing the proposed solution?

A: The responsibility for implementing the proposed solution will depend on the organization's structure and the roles assigned to each team member.

Q: What is the expected return on investment (ROI) for implementing the proposed solution?

A: The expected ROI for implementing the proposed solution is improved performance, reduced costs, and increased scalability of the Tokamak Network's staking protocol.

Q: How can the ROI for implementing the proposed solution be measured?

A: The ROI for implementing the proposed solution can be measured by tracking changes in gas costs, maintenance costs, and scalability metrics.

Q: What is the next step in implementing the proposed solution?

A: The next step in implementing the proposed solution is to modify the storage structure of the CandidateAddOn and OperatorManager contracts to use storage slots and thoroughly test the modified contracts.

Q: Who can provide further guidance on implementing the proposed solution?

A: Further guidance on implementing the proposed solution can be obtained from the Tokamak Network's development team or other experts in the field.

Q: What are the potential future developments related to the proposed solution?

A: Potential future developments related to the proposed solution include further optimization of the storage structure, implementation of additional features, and integration with other contracts.

Q: How can the community get involved in the development of the proposed solution?

A: The community can get involved in the development of the proposed solution by providing feedback, suggesting improvements, and participating in testing and validation efforts.