incorrect-inheritance-order.md

Incorrect Inheritance Order

Preconditions

• Contract uses multiple inheritance (is ContractA, ContractB, ...)
• Two or more parent contracts define a function with the same name and signature
• The inheritance order (left-to-right) does not match the developer's intended resolution

Vulnerable Pattern

contract Ownable {
    function owner() public view virtual returns (address) {
        return _owner; // Returns EOA owner
    }
}

contract Governance {
    function owner() public view virtual returns (address) {
        return governance; // Returns governance contract
    }
}

// C3 linearization: rightmost (Ownable) takes precedence
// Developer intended Governance.owner() but gets Ownable.owner()
contract Treasury is Governance, Ownable {
    // owner() resolves to Ownable (rightmost) — may not be intended
    // Should be: is Ownable, Governance (if Governance should win)
}

Detection Heuristics

1. Identify all contracts using multiple inheritance (is A, B, C)
2. For each inheritance chain, check if parent contracts define functions with the same name and signature
3. Verify the inheritance order follows general-to-specific (most base first, most derived last) — Solidity's C3 linearization gives precedence to the rightmost parent
4. Check override specifiers: override(A, B) should explicitly list which parents are being overridden
5. Trace the actual resolution order and compare against documented or intended behavior

False Positives

• Only one parent defines the function (no ambiguity)
• The contract explicitly overrides the function with override(A, B) and provides its own implementation
• The inheritance order is intentionally general-to-specific and produces the correct resolution

Remediation

• Order inheritance from most base to most derived (general-to-specific, left-to-right)
• Explicitly override conflicting functions and specify which parents: override(ContractA, ContractB)
• Test function resolution in complex hierarchies

// Correct: general-to-specific order
contract Treasury is Ownable, Governance {
    function owner() public view override(Ownable, Governance) returns (address) {
        return Governance.owner(); // Explicit resolution
    }
}