- Solana validators quickly patched a critical zero-day bug within just two days of discovery.
- Vulnerability impacted Token-22 confidential transfers, but no exploits were reported.
- Solana Foundation privately coordinated fix, sparking community concerns on centralization.
The Solana Foundation confirmed fixing a “zero-day” bug that gave attackers unlimited token minting capabilities and the ability to withdraw tokens from user accounts. The issue, discovered on April 16, was resolved within two days after validators rapidly deployed two critical patches across the network.
According to the Foundation’s May 3 post-mortem report, the bug affected the ZK ElGamal Proof program, which validates zero-knowledge proofs tied to confidential transfers in Token-2022, now called Token-22. The flaw emerged from missing algebraic components in the Fiat-Shamir Transformation, used for cryptographic randomness, making it possible to craft forged proofs.
Despite the seriousness of the vulnerability, the Solana Foundation reported no known exploit or loss of funds. The patches were implemented by a group of development teams, including Anza, Firedancer, and Jito, with support from security researchers at OtterSec, Asymmetric Research, and Neodyme.
Validators Privately Coordinated to Deploy Fix
Before disclosing the vulnerability, Solana Foundation collaborated with validators to implement the fix privately. Through this method, validators quickly deployed the solution, sparking renewed concerns about decentralization and transparency.
Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko responded to criticism on X, stating that similar coordination happens on Ethereum too. According to him, major Ethereum validators, including Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, and Lido, could rapidly agree on implementing urgent security patches whenever necessary.
However, critics questioned how the Solana Foundation reached out to all validators in the network. Further, users expressed concerns about censorship or rollback through off-chain coordination, referencing prior similar responses to undisclosed bugs.
Confidential Transfer Feature Had Limited Adoption
Technically, the identified vulnerability posed a threat to token forgery and theft, but its practical impact remained limited. The affected feature, Zero-knowledge proof, used for confidential transfers, remained minimally implemented throughout the network.
Despite speculations about its involvement, Paxos publicly denied operating the confidential transfer system. A spokesperson stated, “Confidential transfers are currently not live on any Paxos-issued stablecoins.”
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Ethereum community member Ryan Berckmans argued Solana remains vulnerable due to its reliance on a single production-ready client, Agave. He emphasized Ethereum’s client diversity, with the leading client, Geth, holding 41% market share, enhancing protocol resilience.
Solana plans to launch its new network client, Firedancer, in the upcoming months to solve this problem. According to the Foundation, coordinated emergency patches are a requirement for network security and does not indicate centralization.
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