2022 has been a year marked by significant thefts from token bridges, totaling over $2 billion. As we move toward a multi-chain future, it’s essential to understand these vulnerabilities and the security measures being developed to address them.
One of the most common forms of security breaches is social engineering attacks, such as phishing schemes or enticing offers that seem too good to be true. For instance, the Axie Infinity blockchain was hacked due to a phishing scheme involving fake LinkedIn job offers, resulting in a $625 million loss.
Another example is the $160 million hack of Wintermute, likely caused by a weakness in private keys generated by the Profanity app. Similar private key-related issues were behind the $6 million loss for Slope.
A third type of vulnerability lies in smart contracts, where bugs can allow hackers to illegitimately trigger transfers of money between blockchains without fulfilling any conditions. This was the case with Nomad, where hackers exploited a smart contract misconfiguration, draining nearly $200 million from the bridge.
Despite these worrying events, experts have developed security protocols. By using multiple bridge standards simultaneously, developers can offset vulnerabilities by relying on the strengths of another protocol. Some cryptographic standards include multi-sig technology, which requires multiple parties’ approval for a transaction; committee bridge standards, where trusted entities manage network bridge security; and Zero Knowledge (ZK) proofs, which allow for secure information exchange without revealing additional details.
Still, some bridges use an ‘optimistic’ approach, where transactions are assumed to be valid until challenged. Though not mathematically secure, this method can provide a decent level of security through a challenge and dispute process, allowing users to flag potentially fraudulent transactions.
Ultimately, the strongest security is achieved through a mix of these standards. If one bridge experiences a bug or security weakness, other standards can still protect the network. However, it’s essential to remember that bridges can never be more secure than the networks they connect.
As bridges are crucial for enabling access to the multi-chain world, it’s our responsibility to ensure they are secure and robust. By leveraging the power of blockchain technology and combining the strengths of different security protocols, we can make these bridges stronger and more resilient against attacks.
Source: Coindesk
