Just-In: Solana Silently Patched A Critical Security Vulnerability

As a seasoned Solana investor with over a decade of experience in the crypto market, I must say that the recent silent patch incident has left me both intrigued and reassured. Being involved in various blockchain projects throughout my career, I understand the importance of swift action when it comes to vulnerabilities.


Contributors working on the Solana project have unveiled steps taken towards a significant update, as they addressed a potential vulnerability. Initially, this patch was applied in private due to confidentiality concerns. Once the bulk of the network had been updated, it was then disclosed to other public operators. Users responded with a mix of feelings, with most expressing appreciation for the prompt action taken by the contributors.

Solana Patch Saves The Day 

Laine, who runs a Solana node, recently shared details about a software update on platform X (previously known as Twitter). This information was made public after a significant portion of the network’s stakeholders upgraded to strengthen the system. According to Laine, members associated with the Foundation communicated this update through private messages on August 7th. The message contained information about the update itself, the potential threat the network is facing, and when and how it should be implemented.

“On Wednesday, 7th August 2024, at 14:56 UTC, we received a message that warned about an impending critical patch. This message contained a hashed version, which provided the date and unique identifier of the incident. Notably, this hash was subsequently published by key figures from Anza, Jito, and Solana Foundation across Twitter, Github, LinkedIn, aiming to validate the authenticity of the message.”

Following this development, other operators emphasized the importance of keeping matters confidential and moving swiftly. On August 8th, the update took place after numerous messages with instructions and verification of the update files were exchanged. Once 70% of the public had been updated, it was deemed safe to reveal the progress and the discovered vulnerability. Other operators were also instructed to perform updates in accordance with the patch.

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Users’ Mixed Reaction to Approach 

Despite the quiet consensus on Solana following its decision to prevent a potential crypto hack, opinions remain split. However, most agree that this was the appropriate action. Meanwhile, Kunal Goel, a researcher from Messari, commended the swift and incident-free response by the active community on X.

Initially, some users questioned the necessity of maintaining confidentiality at the outset. Laine clarified that the patch revealed an underlying weakness, which a potential threat actor might exploit through reverse engineering, potentially causing disruptions in the network. These interruptions could result in significant losses.

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2024-08-09 11:05