Security Architecture
Overview
Karpous employs a multi-layered security architecture designed to protect user assets at every level of the platform. Our security model is built on the principle of defense in depth, combining blockchain-level security with traditional infrastructure hardening.
Security Philosophy
"Funds should never sit in a smart contract when they can be secured in cold storage."
This core principle drives our entire security architecture. By minimizing on-chain fund exposure and maximizing cold storage usage, we eliminate entire categories of smart contract vulnerabilities.
Security Layers
Smart Contract Security
BoringVault Architecture
Our vault system is inspired by the BoringVault security model - an ultra-minimal design that prioritizes security through simplicity.
Key Design Principles
| Principle | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Zero Fund Storage | Vault acts as passthrough only - funds never rest in contract |
| Immediate Forwarding | All deposits instantly forwarded to cold storage |
| Immutable Destination | Ledger address is immutable after deployment |
| Minimal Attack Surface | Fewer lines of code = fewer vulnerabilities |
Hardware Wallet (Ledger) Integration
All user funds are secured in Ledger hardware wallets - the industry standard for cryptocurrency cold storage.
Security Guarantees
- Physical Confirmation: Every outbound transaction requires physical button press
- Offline Key Storage: Private keys never touch the internet
- PIN Protection: Multiple layers of authentication
- Recovery Seed: Backup capability with BIP-39 mnemonic
Multisig Governance
All administrative functions are controlled by Gnosis Safe multisig wallets.
| Operation Type | Signers Required | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Contract Deployment | 3 of 5 | 60% |
| Portal Authorization | 2 of 3 | 67% |
| Configuration Changes | 2 of 3 | 67% |
| Emergency Actions | 3 of 5 | 60% |
Access Control System
We use OpenZeppelin's AccessControl for fine-grained permission management.
Infrastructure Security
Server Architecture
Security Layers
| Layer | Technology | Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Edge | Cloudflare | DDoS mitigation, WAF, rate limiting |
| Transport | TLS 1.3 | Encryption in transit |
| Application | JWT + MFA | Authentication, authorization |
| Data | AES-256 | Encryption at rest |
| Network | VPC + Firewall | Network isolation |
Operational Security
Multi-Approval Workflows
Time-Lock Mechanisms
| Operation | Maturity Period | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Withdrawal | 1 minute | Flash attack prevention |
| Yield Claim | 1 hour | Higher security for yields |
| Auto-Renewal | 24 hours grace | User opt-out window |
Monitoring & Alerting
| System | Monitoring | Alert Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Contracts | Event listeners | Any unusual activity |
| API Servers | Health checks | Over 5s response time |
| Database | Query performance | Over 100ms queries |
| Wallet Balances | Real-time | Under $10k buffer |
Security Summary
What We Do
| Practice | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Minimize on-chain exposure | All funds in cold storage |
| Immutable critical params | Ledger address cannot change |
| Multi-party approval | No single point of failure |
| Time-locks | Prevent flash attacks |
| Defense in depth | Multiple security layers |
| Least privilege | Minimal permissions per role |
What We Avoid
| Anti-Pattern | Reason |
|---|---|
| Upgradeable vault | Reduces attack surface |
| Admin fund access | Only users initiate withdrawals |
| Complex on-chain logic | Simple = secure |
| Single signature ops | Always multi-party |
| On-chain secrets | All sensitive data off-chain |
Security Contact
For security issues or vulnerability reports:
- Security Email: [email protected]
- Bug Bounty: [Coming Soon]
- Response Time: 24 hours for initial acknowledgment