The post Solana Fixes Token Vulnerability, Sparks Centralization Debate appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Solana fixed a Token-2022 bug that risked unlimited token minting.  The patch was deployed in two days, but transparency was lacking.  Validators’ quick response raised centralization concerns. A severe zero-day flaw in the confidential transfer of the Token-2022 standard was detected on the Solana Foundation on April 16, 2025. Attackers could manipulate zero-knowledge proofs as a result of this vulnerability, which could result in unauthorized token minting or stealing of user assets. While the problem was quickly resolved, and a fix was distributed within two days, the response has sparked a conversation about centralization in the Solana ecosystem. The privacy-focused Token-2022 secret transfers, which use zero-knowledge proofs to preserve transaction secrecy, were allegedly linked to the issue, according to the Solana Foundation. The flaw could have been exploited to create an unlimited number of tokens or drain assets from user accounts if exploited. Fortunately, no funds were lost in the incident. The patch was deployed quickly with the help of key contributors such as Anza, Firedancer, Jito, Asymmetric Research, Neodyme, and OtterSec working in coordinated efforts. By April 18, 2025, the majority of validators had adopted the updated version of the code, securing the network from possible exploits. The Solana Foundation detailed the effectiveness of this response in a detailed post-mortem published on May 2, 2025. But the private handling of the issue has also come under fire. Some argue that this undermines transparency as the Foundation chose not to disclose the vulnerability publicly until the fix was implemented. Some critics on platforms like X have criticized this approach as it highlights centralization risks, given that a coordinated action of a handful of validators would raise questions about the decentralized nature of Solana. Rapid Fix, Hidden Risks The Solana Foundation also published a post-mortem detailing the timeline of the incident.…

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Filed under: News - @ May 6, 2025 3:28 am