Proposal to Prevent GPU Spoofing and Exploitation of Block Rewards

[derrickpehjh]

Proposal to Prevent GPU Spoofing and Exploitation of Block Rewards

Introduction

To maintain the integrity and fairness of block rewards, it is crucial to implement measures that prevent bad actors from exploiting the system through the use of spoofed devices. This proposal aims to outline a strategy for minimizing such exploitation and ensuring that block rewards are distributed more equitably among genuine participants.

Objectives

1. Discourage bad actors from using spoofed devices to earn block rewards.
2. Prevent the exponential dilution of block rewards.
3. Provide transparent and actionable feedback for worker verification failures.
4. Implement a fair system for allowing additional worker nodes based on merit.

Proposed Measures

1. Limiting Initial Worker Nodes

Each account should initially be allowed to set up a limited number of worker nodes (e.g., 1-3) for block rewards. This initial restriction will help control the potential abuse of block rewards by spoofed devices.

2. Incentivizing Additional Workers and Preventing Multiple Accounts

To qualify for additional worker nodes, users must meet specific criteria, including:

• Uptime Requirement: Maintain an uptime of X% for all initial workers over a specified period (e.g., 90% uptime over 30 days).
• Proof of Ownership: Provide verifiable evidence, such as screenshots or receipts, showing ownership of additional GPU devices.
• Hashrate Proofs: Submit proof of hashrate for potential worker nodes to demonstrate their capability.
• Decentralized Proof of Uniqueness: Implement a decentralized mechanism to ensure each user can only create one account without relying on traditional identity verification. This could involve:
  • Web of Trust: Leverage a web of trust model where existing trusted users vouch for new users.
  • Blockchain-Based Verification: Utilize blockchain technology to create a tamper-proof record of user accounts and their activity, making it difficult for the same individual to create multiple accounts without detection.
• IP Address Monitoring: Monitor IP addresses used for account creation and worker node activity. Flag and review suspicious patterns, such as multiple accounts originating from the same IP address.

These conditions will help ensure that only genuine participants with legitimate hardware are allowed to add more workers while preventing users from creating multiple accounts to bypass worker node limits.

3. Detailed Verification Feedback

Provide more detailed information on why some workers fail their verification. This information can be derived from logs available at https://github.com/ionet-official/io-net-transparent-device-metric under the pow-logs URL. Key details should include:

• Insufficient hashrate
• Bad network connectivity
• Other relevant issues

This feedback should be displayed on the worker tab in io.net, helping users troubleshoot errors effectively and improve their setup.

4. Additional Measures to Prevent GPU Spoofing

• Regular Audits: Conduct periodic audits of worker nodes to detect and remove spoofed devices. The results and timing of these audits should be transparently displayed to users, fostering a sense of trust and accountability within the team.
• Hardware-Based Attestation: Implement robust verification processes using hardware-based attestation. This involves using specialized hardware to prove the integrity and identity of worker nodes, such as Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) and remote attestation protocols.

Hardware-Based Attestation

Hardware-based attestation involves using specialized hardware to prove the integrity and identity of worker nodes. This can be achieved through:

• Trusted Platform Modules (TPM): Utilize TPM chips present in modern GPUs and motherboards to attest to the hardware’s authenticity and integrity. The TPM can provide cryptographic proofs that the hardware has not been tampered with.
• Remote Attestation: Implement remote attestation protocols that allow worker nodes to prove their hardware configuration and integrity to a remote verifier. This involves:
  • Attestation Key: Each device generates a unique attestation key stored in the TPM.
  • Integrity Report: The device creates an integrity report signed with the attestation key, detailing the hardware configuration and software environment.
  • Verification: The remote verifier checks the integrity report against known good configurations to ensure the device has not been spoofed or tampered with.

5. Dedicated Reporting Page

Create a dedicated page on io.net for users to report potential spoofing of devices. This page should allow users to submit detailed reports, including:

• Description of the issue
• Evidence or screenshots supporting the claim
• Logs or data from the affected worker nodes

This reporting mechanism will help in quickly identifying and addressing spoofing attempts, ensuring the system's integrity.

Conclusion

Implementing these measures will help maintain the integrity of the block reward system by discouraging the use of spoofed devices and ensuring that rewards are distributed fairly. Providing detailed feedback on verification failures will also empower users to troubleshoot and improve their setups, fostering a more transparent and robust ecosystem.

I believe that these steps will significantly enhance the security and fairness of the block reward system. Thank you for considering this proposal. Will be good if this proposal is incentivized if any of the feedback listed is implemented.

[ZhijieWang]

Proof of ownership is highly spoofale though

[derrickpehjh]

@ZhijieWang Proof of ownership is highly spoofable though - this is just an example of what we can sub-implement. If the idea is not feasible, we can remove it from the main idea. the main idea is to prevent GPU Spoofing and Exploitation of Block Rewards