Ethereum

2024

<ul>
 <li aria-level="1">Buterin highlights the potential for a 67% capture attack, allowing attackers to alter Ethereum’s blockchain history and future.</li>
 <li aria-level="1">Proposed solution to increase quorum threshold could inadvertently lower attack costs, creating new vulnerabilities in Ethereum’s security.</li>
</ul>
During a recent conference in Singapore, Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin addressed emerging security threats to the Ethereum network, emphasizing potential vulnerabilities that have not been widely acknowledged.&nbsp;
Despite Ethereum’s robust staking mechanisms, Buterin pinpointed solo stakers as both crucial protectors and potential weak links within the system.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
 A summary of my fireside chat with <a href="https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@VitalikButerin</a> at the Home Staking Summit in Singapore last week if you weren't able to attend.
 *Disclaimer: This also includes some of my prior understanding and interpretation.
 Part 1 of 3: The importance of solo stakers
 Solo stakers serve… <a href="https://t.co/LvkS4umPsH" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">pic.twitter.com/LvkS4umPsH</a>
 — Samuel Chong (@stakesaurus) <a href="https://twitter.com/stakesaurus/status/1838420734340927635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">September 24, 2024</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Solo stakers, as described by Buterin, serve as the primary safeguards against network corruption and censorship. Their role is essential in ensuring that the Ethereum blockchain remains free from external manipulation and hacker intrusions.&nbsp;
This group helps to block any efforts that might compromise the blockchain’s operations, thus maintaining its integrity against overt censorship and control.
However, <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/vitalik-buterin-critiques-misuse-of-the-term-smart-in-wallet-technology/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Buterin highlighted</a> the possibility of subtle and indirect threats that could undermine this critical defense line. He specifically mentioned the risk of a 67% capture attack, where adversaries could potentially control more than two-thirds of the staked ETH.&nbsp;
This level of control would allow them to alter the blockchain’s history and future activities without incurring direct penalties, such as slashing, which are designed to deter such actions.
<figure id="attachment_95734" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-95734" style="width: 100%" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-95734" src="https://www.ethnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/eth-stake.webp" alt="eth-stake" width="935" height="433">
 <figcaption id="caption-attachment-95734" class="wp-caption-text">
 Source: Dune
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Addressing these concerns, Buterin suggested that increasing the quorum threshold—for instance, from 67% to 75%—might seem like a viable solution to enhance security. However, he cautioned that this adjustment could inadvertently lower the cost for attackers, introducing new vulnerabilities instead of mitigating existing ones.
Buterin <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/vitalik-buterin-transfers-massive-eth-sum-whats-he-planning/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">also pointed</a> out more economical strategies that malicious actors might employ to compromise the network. He explained that influencing key community members, such as core developers or major node operators, could be a cheaper and more effective method than mounting a direct, costly attack.&nbsp;
To fortify Ethereum’s defenses, <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/vitalik-buterin-reveals-shocking-truth-about-layer-2-security/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Buterin advocates</a> for an increase in the number of solo stakers. This strategy would enhance the network’s ability to meet its current finalization thresholds and form a quorum-blocking set, crucial for resisting any potential breaches of security.
The post <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/is-ethereum-safe-new-vulnerabilities-exposed-by-buterin/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Is Ethereum Safe? New Vulnerabilities Exposed by Buterin!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ethnews.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ETHNews</a>.

Is Ethereum Safe? New Vulnerabilities Exposed by Buterin!

ETHNews

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