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BUSINESS POSTURE

This project, fuel-core, aims to provide a high-performance execution layer for blockchain technology. It focuses on speed, efficiency, and scalability, targeting developers and users who require fast and reliable decentralized applications.

  • Business priorities:
    • High performance and low latency transaction processing.
    • Robustness and reliability of the execution layer.
    • Developer-friendly platform for building decentralized applications.
    • Scalability to handle increasing transaction volumes.
    • Security to protect user assets and maintain network integrity.
  • Business goals:
    • Become a leading execution layer for blockchain ecosystems.
    • Enable new classes of high-performance decentralized applications.
    • Attract developers and users to the Fuel ecosystem.
    • Foster innovation in the decentralized space.
  • Most important business risks:
    • Security vulnerabilities in the core execution layer leading to loss of funds or network disruption.
    • Performance bottlenecks hindering adoption and user experience.
    • Lack of developer adoption due to complexity or insufficient tooling.
    • Competition from other high-performance blockchain solutions.
    • Regulatory uncertainty surrounding blockchain technology.

SECURITY POSTURE

  • Existing security controls:
    • security control: Code reviews are likely performed by the development team (Inferred from standard software development practices).
    • security control: Unit and integration testing are likely implemented to ensure code correctness and identify bugs (Inferred from standard software development practices).
    • security control: Fuzzing might be used to discover potential vulnerabilities (Inferred from security best practices for critical infrastructure).
    • security control: Static analysis security tools might be integrated into the development process (Inferred from security best practices for software development).
    • security control: Dependency scanning to identify vulnerabilities in third-party libraries (Inferred from supply chain security best practices).
  • Accepted risks:
    • accepted risk: Potential vulnerabilities might exist due to the complexity of the codebase and rapid development cycles typical of blockchain projects.
    • accepted risk: Reliance on community contributions might introduce security risks if contributions are not thoroughly vetted.
    • accepted risk: Emerging attack vectors against new blockchain technologies might not be fully understood or mitigated.
  • Recommended security controls:
    • security control: Implement formal security audits by reputable third-party security firms.
    • security control: Establish a bug bounty program to incentivize external security researchers to find and report vulnerabilities.
    • security control: Implement penetration testing to simulate real-world attacks and identify weaknesses in the system.
    • security control: Enhance monitoring and logging capabilities to detect and respond to security incidents effectively.
    • security control: Develop and implement an incident response plan to handle security breaches and vulnerabilities.
    • security control: Secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) should be formally defined and implemented.
  • Security requirements:
    • Authentication:
      • Requirement: Secure node-to-node authentication to prevent unauthorized nodes from joining the network.
      • Requirement: Client authentication for API access to ensure only authorized users can interact with the node.
      • Requirement: Consider mutual TLS for secure communication channels.
    • Authorization:
      • Requirement: Role-based access control (RBAC) for administrative functions to restrict access to sensitive operations.
      • Requirement: Fine-grained authorization for transaction execution and data access based on user roles and permissions.
      • Requirement: Policy enforcement to ensure adherence to network rules and security policies.
    • Input validation:
      • Requirement: Strict input validation for all external inputs, including transaction data, API requests, and network messages, to prevent injection attacks and other input-related vulnerabilities.
      • Requirement: Input sanitization to neutralize potentially harmful data before processing.
      • Requirement: Use of well-defined data schemas and protocols to enforce data integrity.
    • Cryptography:
      • Requirement: Use strong cryptographic algorithms and libraries for all security-sensitive operations, including transaction signing, data encryption, and secure communication.
      • Requirement: Secure key management practices to protect private keys and prevent unauthorized access.
      • Requirement: Implement cryptographic protocols to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity.
      • Requirement: Regular review and updates of cryptographic libraries and algorithms to address known vulnerabilities.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Fuel Ecosystem"
        center("Fuel Core")
    end
    Developers -- "Develop and deploy dApps" --> center
    NodeOperators -- "Run Fuel Core nodes" --> center
    Users -- "Interact with dApps" --> center
    center -- "Transaction processing, state management, consensus" --> Ethereum["Ethereum"]
    center -- "Data retrieval, analytics" --> BlockExplorers["Block Explorers"]
    center -- "Wallet interactions, transaction signing" --> Wallets["Wallets"]
    Ethereum -- "Bridge assets, interoperability" --> center
    BlockExplorers -- "Index and display blockchain data" --> center
    Wallets -- "Manage keys, sign transactions" --> center
    style center fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
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  • Context Diagram Elements:
    • Element:
      • Name: Fuel Core
      • Type: Software System
      • Description: The core execution layer of the Fuel blockchain, responsible for processing transactions, managing state, and participating in consensus.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Transaction processing and execution.
        • State management and storage.
        • Consensus mechanism participation.
        • Network communication and peer management.
        • API for client interactions.
      • Security controls:
        • Input validation on transaction data and API requests.
        • Authentication and authorization for API access and node communication.
        • Cryptography for transaction signing and secure communication.
        • Consensus mechanism to ensure network integrity and prevent double-spending.
    • Element:
      • Name: Developers
      • Type: Person
      • Description: Software developers who build and deploy decentralized applications (dApps) on the Fuel platform.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Developing and deploying dApps using Fuel Core APIs and SDKs.
        • Testing and debugging dApps.
        • Interacting with the Fuel Core network through client libraries.
      • Security controls:
        • Secure development practices for dApp development.
        • Input validation and output encoding in dApps to prevent vulnerabilities.
        • Secure storage of API keys and credentials.
    • Element:
      • Name: Node Operators
      • Type: Person
      • Description: Individuals or organizations that run Fuel Core nodes to support the network and participate in consensus.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Running and maintaining Fuel Core nodes.
        • Ensuring node availability and performance.
        • Participating in the consensus process.
        • Securing node infrastructure.
      • Security controls:
        • Secure node infrastructure and operating system hardening.
        • Firewall configuration and network security.
        • Regular security updates and patching.
        • Secure key management for node identities.
    • Element:
      • Name: Users
      • Type: Person
      • Description: End-users who interact with decentralized applications built on Fuel.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Using dApps to access services and interact with the Fuel network.
        • Managing their accounts and assets.
        • Signing transactions using wallets.
      • Security controls:
        • Using secure wallets to manage private keys.
        • Being aware of phishing and social engineering attacks.
        • Practicing safe browsing habits.
    • Element:
      • Name: Ethereum
      • Type: Software System
      • Description: The Ethereum blockchain, which Fuel interacts with for bridging assets and interoperability.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Providing a bridge for transferring assets between Ethereum and Fuel.
        • Enabling interoperability between the two blockchains.
      • Security controls:
        • Security of the bridge contract on Ethereum.
        • Secure communication between Fuel Core and the Ethereum bridge.
        • Monitoring of bridge transactions for anomalies.
    • Element:
      • Name: Block Explorers
      • Type: Software System
      • Description: Services that index and display blockchain data, allowing users to view transactions, blocks, and other network information.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Indexing and storing Fuel blockchain data.
        • Providing APIs for accessing blockchain data.
        • Displaying blockchain information in a user-friendly format.
      • Security controls:
        • Data integrity and accuracy of indexed blockchain data.
        • Protection against data breaches and unauthorized access to blockchain data.
        • Rate limiting and access controls for public APIs.
    • Element:
      • Name: Wallets
      • Type: Software System
      • Description: Software applications that allow users to manage their private keys, sign transactions, and interact with dApps.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Securely storing user private keys.
        • Generating and signing transactions.
        • Interacting with dApps and the Fuel network.
      • Security controls:
        • Secure key generation and storage.
        • Protection against malware and phishing attacks.
        • User authentication and authorization.
        • Transaction confirmation and verification.

C4 CONTAINER

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Fuel Core (Software System)"
        Node["Node Application (Rust)"]
        API["API Gateway (Rust)"]
        Consensus["Consensus Engine (Rust)"]
        Storage["Storage (Database)"]
    end
    Developers -- "API requests" --> API
    NodeOperators -- "Node management, monitoring" --> Node
    Node -- "P2P Network" --> Node
    Node -- "Consensus messages" --> Consensus
    Consensus -- "State updates" --> Storage
    API -- "Query data, submit transactions" --> Node
    Node -- "Read/Write state" --> Storage
    style Node fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style API fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style Consensus fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style Storage fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
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  • Container Diagram Elements:
    • Element:
      • Name: Node Application
      • Type: Container - Application
      • Description: The core Fuel Core node application written in Rust. It handles P2P networking, transaction processing, and interacts with other containers.
      • Responsibilities:
        • P2P network management and communication.
        • Transaction pool management.
        • Transaction execution and state updates.
        • Communication with the Consensus Engine and Storage.
        • Exposing APIs for internal components.
      • Security controls:
        • Input validation for network messages and internal API calls.
        • Rate limiting and denial-of-service (DoS) protection.
        • Secure P2P communication protocols.
        • Resource management to prevent resource exhaustion attacks.
    • Element:
      • Name: API Gateway
      • Type: Container - Application
      • Description: An API gateway written in Rust that provides external APIs for developers and clients to interact with the Fuel Core node.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Handling external API requests from developers and clients.
        • Authentication and authorization of API requests.
        • Rate limiting and request throttling.
        • Routing requests to the Node Application.
        • API documentation and versioning.
      • Security controls:
        • Authentication and authorization for API access.
        • Input validation for API requests.
        • Output encoding to prevent injection attacks.
        • API security best practices (e.g., rate limiting, input validation, output encoding).
    • Element:
      • Name: Consensus Engine
      • Type: Container - Application
      • Description: The consensus engine responsible for block production and agreement on the state of the blockchain. Implemented in Rust.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Block proposal and validation.
        • Consensus algorithm implementation (e.g., Proof-of-Stake, Proof-of-Authority).
        • Communication with Node Application for state updates.
        • Ensuring network agreement and finality.
      • Security controls:
        • Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) consensus algorithm.
        • Protection against consensus manipulation attacks.
        • Secure communication between consensus participants.
        • Robustness and fault tolerance of the consensus mechanism.
    • Element:
      • Name: Storage
      • Type: Container - Database
      • Description: A database system used to store the blockchain state, including accounts, balances, and smart contract data.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Persistent storage of blockchain state data.
        • Efficient data retrieval and querying.
        • Data integrity and consistency.
        • Backup and recovery of blockchain data.
      • Security controls:
        • Access control to the database to restrict unauthorized access.
        • Data encryption at rest and in transit.
        • Database hardening and security configuration.
        • Regular backups and disaster recovery plan.

DEPLOYMENT

Deployment Solution: Cloud-based deployment using container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes) for scalability and resilience.

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Cloud Provider (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure)"
        subgraph "Kubernetes Cluster"
            NodeInstance["Node Container Instance"]
            APIInstance["API Gateway Container Instance"]
            ConsensusInstance["Consensus Engine Container Instance"]
            StorageInstance["Storage (Database) Instance"]
        end
        LoadBalancer["Load Balancer"]
        Firewall["Cloud Firewall"]
    end
    NodeOperators -- "Manage Nodes" --> KubernetesCluster
    Users -- "dApp Access" --> LoadBalancer
    LoadBalancer -- "Distributes traffic" --> APIInstance
    APIInstance -- "API Requests" --> NodeInstance
    NodeInstance -- "Consensus Communication" --> ConsensusInstance
    NodeInstance -- "State Storage" --> StorageInstance
    Firewall -- "Network Security" --> KubernetesCluster
    style NodeInstance fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style APIInstance fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style ConsensusInstance fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style StorageInstance fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style LoadBalancer fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style Firewall fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
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  • Deployment Diagram Elements:
    • Element:
      • Name: Kubernetes Cluster
      • Type: Infrastructure - Container Orchestration
      • Description: A Kubernetes cluster deployed on a cloud provider to manage and orchestrate Fuel Core containers.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Container deployment and management.
        • Service discovery and load balancing within the cluster.
        • Scaling and auto-scaling of container instances.
        • Health monitoring and self-healing of containers.
      • Security controls:
        • Kubernetes RBAC for access control to the cluster.
        • Network policies to isolate containers and services.
        • Secrets management for storing sensitive data.
        • Regular security updates and patching of Kubernetes components.
    • Element:
      • Name: Node Container Instance
      • Type: Infrastructure - Container
      • Description: A container instance running the Fuel Core Node Application. Multiple instances can be deployed for redundancy and scalability.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Running the Fuel Core Node Application.
        • Participating in the P2P network.
        • Processing transactions and updating state.
      • Security controls:
        • Container image security scanning for vulnerabilities.
        • Principle of least privilege for container runtime.
        • Resource limits to prevent resource exhaustion.
        • Regular container image updates.
    • Element:
      • Name: API Gateway Container Instance
      • Type: Infrastructure - Container
      • Description: A container instance running the API Gateway. Multiple instances can be deployed behind a load balancer for scalability and high availability.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Handling external API requests.
        • Load balancing API traffic.
        • API request authentication and authorization.
      • Security controls:
        • Container image security scanning.
        • Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect against web attacks.
        • Rate limiting and request throttling.
        • TLS/SSL encryption for API communication.
    • Element:
      • Name: Consensus Engine Container Instance
      • Type: Infrastructure - Container
      • Description: A container instance running the Consensus Engine. The number of instances depends on the chosen consensus mechanism and network requirements.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Running the Consensus Engine.
        • Participating in block production and consensus.
        • Maintaining network agreement.
      • Security controls:
        • Container image security scanning.
        • Secure communication channels between consensus instances.
        • Fault tolerance and redundancy.
    • Element:
      • Name: Storage (Database) Instance
      • Type: Infrastructure - Database Instance
      • Description: A managed database service provided by the cloud provider, used for storing the blockchain state.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Persistent storage of blockchain data.
        • Database performance and availability.
        • Data backups and recovery.
      • Security controls:
        • Database access control and authentication.
        • Data encryption at rest and in transit.
        • Database security hardening.
        • Regular database backups.
    • Element:
      • Name: Load Balancer
      • Type: Infrastructure - Load Balancer
      • Description: A cloud load balancer distributing incoming traffic across multiple API Gateway instances.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Distributing API traffic.
        • Ensuring high availability of the API Gateway.
        • TLS termination.
      • Security controls:
        • DDoS protection.
        • TLS/SSL encryption.
        • Load balancer security configuration.
    • Element:
      • Name: Cloud Firewall
      • Type: Infrastructure - Firewall
      • Description: A cloud firewall protecting the Kubernetes cluster from external network threats.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Network traffic filtering.
        • Blocking malicious traffic.
        • Controlling access to the Kubernetes cluster.
      • Security controls:
        • Network access control lists (ACLs).
        • Intrusion detection and prevention system (IDS/IPS).
        • Firewall rule management and auditing.

BUILD

flowchart LR
    Developer["Developer"] --> SourceCode["Source Code (GitHub)"]
    SourceCode -- "Code Changes, Pull Requests" --> CI["CI System (GitHub Actions)"]
    CI -- "Build, Test, Scan" --> BuildArtifacts["Build Artifacts (Docker Images, Binaries)"]
    BuildArtifacts -- "Publish" --> ContainerRegistry["Container Registry (e.g., Docker Hub, GHCR)"]
    BuildArtifacts -- "Publish" --> BinaryRepository["Binary Repository (e.g., GitHub Releases)"]
    CI -- "SAST, DAST, Dependency Scan" --> SecurityReports["Security Reports"]
    SecurityReports -- "Review, Remediation" --> Developer
    style Developer fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style SourceCode fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style CI fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style BuildArtifacts fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style ContainerRegistry fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style BinaryRepository fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style SecurityReports fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
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  • Build Process Elements:
    • Element:
      • Name: Developer
      • Type: Person
      • Description: Software developers who write and contribute code to the fuel-core project.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Writing and testing code.
        • Submitting code changes via pull requests.
        • Reviewing and addressing security findings.
      • Security controls:
        • Secure coding practices.
        • Code review participation.
        • Security awareness training.
    • Element:
      • Name: Source Code (GitHub)
      • Type: Software System - Source Code Repository
      • Description: The GitHub repository hosting the fuel-core source code.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Version control of source code.
        • Code collaboration and pull request management.
        • Triggering CI pipelines on code changes.
      • Security controls:
        • Access control to the repository (authentication and authorization).
        • Branch protection rules.
        • Audit logging of repository activities.
    • Element:
      • Name: CI System (GitHub Actions)
      • Type: Software System - CI/CD
      • Description: GitHub Actions is used for continuous integration and continuous delivery. It automates the build, test, and security scanning processes.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Automated building of the project.
        • Running unit and integration tests.
        • Performing static analysis security testing (SAST).
        • Performing dependency scanning.
        • Building and publishing build artifacts (Docker images, binaries).
      • Security controls:
        • Secure CI/CD pipeline configuration.
        • Secrets management for CI/CD credentials.
        • SAST and dependency scanning tools integration.
        • Code signing of build artifacts.
    • Element:
      • Name: Build Artifacts (Docker Images, Binaries)
      • Type: Data - Software Artifacts
      • Description: The output of the build process, including Docker images and binaries.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Packaging the software for deployment.
        • Providing distributable artifacts.
      • Security controls:
        • Vulnerability scanning of Docker images.
        • Code signing of binaries.
        • Integrity checks of build artifacts.
    • Element:
      • Name: Container Registry (e.g., Docker Hub, GHCR)
      • Type: Software System - Artifact Repository
      • Description: A container registry used to store and distribute Docker images of fuel-core components.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Storing Docker images.
        • Providing access to Docker images for deployment.
      • Security controls:
        • Access control to the container registry.
        • Vulnerability scanning of stored images.
        • Image signing and verification.
    • Element:
      • Name: Binary Repository (e.g., GitHub Releases)
      • Type: Software System - Artifact Repository
      • Description: A binary repository used to store and distribute binary releases of fuel-core.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Storing binary releases.
        • Providing access to binaries for download.
      • Security controls:
        • Access control to the binary repository.
        • Integrity checks of stored binaries (e.g., checksums).
        • Signing of binaries.
    • Element:
      • Name: Security Reports
      • Type: Data - Security Scan Reports
      • Description: Reports generated by security scanning tools (SAST, dependency scanners) during the CI process.
      • Responsibilities:
        • Providing security vulnerability information.
        • Enabling developers to remediate vulnerabilities.
      • Security controls:
        • Secure storage of security reports.
        • Access control to security reports.
        • Automated analysis and reporting of security findings.

RISK ASSESSMENT

  • Critical business processes we are trying to protect:
    • Transaction processing: Ensuring transactions are processed accurately, reliably, and without manipulation.
    • Consensus mechanism: Maintaining network agreement and preventing forks or disruptions to the blockchain.
    • State management: Protecting the integrity and consistency of the blockchain state, including accounts and balances.
    • API availability: Ensuring the API gateway is available for developers and clients to interact with the network.
  • Data we are trying to protect and their sensitivity:
    • Transaction data: Contains information about transfers of value and smart contract interactions. Sensitivity: Confidentiality and integrity are critical to prevent unauthorized transactions and manipulation of financial records.
    • Blockchain state data: Includes account balances, smart contract code and data. Sensitivity: Integrity is paramount to maintain the correctness of the blockchain ledger and prevent financial losses. Confidentiality might be relevant for certain types of smart contract data.
    • Private keys: Used to sign transactions and control access to accounts. Sensitivity: Extremely high. Loss or compromise of private keys can lead to complete loss of funds.
    • Node configuration and operational data: Includes node settings, logs, and monitoring data. Sensitivity: Moderate. Can reveal information about network topology and potential vulnerabilities if exposed.

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

  • BUSINESS POSTURE:
    • Question: What is the target market for fuel-core? Is it primarily focused on DeFi, gaming, or other specific use cases?
    • Assumption: Fuel-core aims to be a general-purpose, high-performance execution layer applicable to a wide range of decentralized applications.
    • Question: What is the expected transaction throughput and latency for fuel-core?
    • Assumption: Fuel-core is designed for significantly higher throughput and lower latency compared to existing blockchain execution layers.
  • SECURITY POSTURE:
    • Question: What specific security audits have been performed on fuel-core?
    • Assumption: Security audits are planned or have been conducted, but details are not publicly available in the provided repository.
    • Question: What is the incident response plan for fuel-core in case of a security breach?
    • Assumption: An incident response plan is being developed or exists internally, but is not publicly documented.
    • Question: What specific SAST/DAST tools and dependency scanning tools are used in the CI pipeline?
    • Assumption: Standard industry-recognized tools are used, but the specific tools are not explicitly mentioned in the repository.
  • DESIGN:
    • Question: What database system is used for the Storage container?
    • Assumption: A scalable and reliable database system suitable for blockchain state storage is used (e.g., RocksDB, LevelDB, or a cloud-managed database).
    • Question: What consensus algorithm is implemented in the Consensus Engine?
    • Assumption: A modern, BFT-based consensus algorithm is used to ensure security and performance.
    • Question: What P2P networking protocol is used for node communication?
    • Assumption: A secure and efficient P2P protocol suitable for blockchain networks is used (e.g., libp2p).
    • Question: What are the detailed API specifications for the API Gateway?
    • Assumption: API documentation is available separately or will be provided as the project matures.