arXiv subjects

Anton Setzer

Publications and source records attributed to Anton Setzer.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Access Hoare Logic

Following Hoare's seminal invention, now called Hoare logic, to reason about correctness of computer programs, we advocate a related but fundamentally different approach to reason about access security of computer programs such as access control. We define the formalism, which we denote access Hoare logic, and present examples which demonstrate its usefulness and fundamental difference to Hoare logic. We prove soundness and completeness of access Hoare logic, and provide a link between access Hoare logic and standard Hoare logic. We also demonstrate a fundamental difference of access Hoare logic to other approaches, in particular incorrectness logic.

cs.LO↗

arXiv2022

Verification of Bitcoin Script in Agda using Weakest Preconditions for Access Control

This paper contributes to the verification of programs written in Bitcoin's smart contract language SCRIPT in the interactive theorem prover Agda. It focuses on the security property of access control for SCRIPT programs that govern the distribution of Bitcoins. It advocates that weakest preconditions in the context of Hoare triples are the appropriate notion for verifying access control. It aims at obtaining human-readable descriptions of weakest preconditions in order to close the validation gap between user requirements and formal specification of smart contracts. As examples for the proposed approach, the paper focuses on two standard SCRIPT programs that govern the distribution of Bitcoins, Pay to Public Key Hash (P2PKH) and Pay to Multisig (P2MS). The paper introduces an operational semantics of the SCRIPT commands used in P2PKH and P2MS, which is formalised in the Agda proof assistant and reasoned about using Hoare triples. Two methodologies for obtaining human-readable descriptions of weakest preconditions are discussed: (1) a step-by-step approach, which works backwards instruction by instruction through a script, sometimes grouping several instructions together; (2) symbolic execution of the code and translation into a nested case distinction, which allows to read off weakest preconditions as the disjunction of conjunctions of conditions along accepting paths. A syntax for equational reasoning with Hoare Triples is defined in order to formalise those approaches in Agda. Keywords and phrases: Blockchain; Cryptocurrency; Bitcoin; Agda; Verification; Hoare logic; Bitcoin script; P2PKH; P2MS; Access control; Weakest precondition; Predicate transformer semantics; Provable correctness; Symbolic execution; Smart contracts

cs.SC↗

arXiv2018

Modelling Bitcoin in Agda

We present two models of the block chain of Bitcoin in the interactive theorem prover Agda. The first one is based on a simple model of bank accounts, while having transactions with multiple inputs and outputs. The second model models transactions, which refer directly to unspent transaction outputs, rather than user accounts. The resulting blockchain gives rise to a transaction tree. That model is formalised using an extended form of induction-recursion, one of the unique features of Agda. The set of transaction trees and transactions is defined inductively, while simultaneously recursively defining the list of unspent transaction outputs. Both structures model standard transactions, coinbase transactions, transaction fees, the exact message to be signed by those spending money in a transaction, block rewards, blocks, and the blockchain, and the second structure models as well maturation time for coinbase transactions and Merkle trees. Hashing and cryptographic operations and their correctness are dealt with abstractly by postulating corresponding operations. An indication is given how the correctness of this model could be specified and proven in Agda.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2017

Trace and Stable Failures Semantics for CSP-Agda

CSP-Agda is a library, which formalises the process algebra CSP in the interactive theorem prover Agda using coinductive data types. In CSP-Agda, CSP processes are in monadic form, which sup- ports a modular development of processes. In this paper, we implement two main models of CSP, trace and stable failures semantics, in CSP-Agda, and define the corresponding refinement and equal- ity relations. Because of the monadic setting, some adjustments need to be made. As an example, we prove commutativity of the external choice operator w.r.t. the trace semantics in CSP-Agda, and that refinement w.r.t. stable failures semantics is a partial order. All proofs and definitions have been type checked in Agda. Further proofs of algebraic laws will be available in the CSP-Agda repository.

cs.PL↗