Critical Vulnerability in ZK ElGamal Proof Program Identified By Solana
A severe vulnerability within the Solana blockchain’s ZK ElGamal Proof program, foundational to the secure execution of confidential transfers under the Token-2022 standard, was rapidly rectified through a cooperative effort involving engineers and security experts, successfully preventing any loss of funds.
The flaw was first brought to light on April 16, 2025, via a meticulous report, complete with a demonstrative proof of concept, submitted to the Anza Github Security Advisory.
This particular vulnerability, specifically localized to the ZK ElGamal Proof program, presented a risk where a proficient attacker could potentially generate counterfeit proofs.
Such an exploit could have permitted unauthorized activities, including the creation of limitless new tokens or the illicit transfer of assets from accounts holding Token-2022 confidential tokens.
Root Cause: Flaw in Fiat-Shamir Implementation
The deficiency originated from an incorrect implementation of the Fiat-Shamir Transformation, a cryptographic protocol used for generating non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs.
Key algebraic elements had been erroneously excluded from a vital hash function, critically weakening the proof verification process’s integrity.
Fortunately, no malicious exploitations of this weakness were identified.
Teams from Anza, Firedancer, and Jito quickly mobilized to investigate the extent of the vulnerability.
Their collective analysis confirmed the theoretical possibility of fabricating invalid proofs that the system would mistakenly authenticate as legitimate.
Coordinated Response and Multi-Patch Resolution
By 18:00 UTC on April 17, the Solana Foundation and Jito teams initiated direct communication with validator operators to deploy a carefully developed software patch.
Later that same evening, around 23:00 UTC, a distinct but related security weakness was discovered in an associated segment of the program’s code, which necessitated the development and distribution of a supplementary patch.
Both corrective measures were subjected to intensive evaluation by prominent security firms, including Asymmetric Research, Neodyme, and OtterSec, to affirm their efficacy and security.
By 20:00 UTC on April 18, an overwhelming majority of the network’s validating stake had integrated these updates. The successful resolution was then communicated publicly through Discord at 21:01 UTC.
Consequently, the Solana network now operates exclusively on updated software versions: Agave (v2.1.21 and newer, v2.2.11 and newer), Jito-Solana (v2.1.21-jito and newer, v2.2.11-jito and newer), and Firedancer (v0.411.20121 and newer).
Network Fortified and Ecosystem Secure
Importantly, the Token-2022 program itself, responsible for the fundamental logic of token creation and account management, was not compromised by this issue and did not require any modifications.
The combination of previous security audits of the ZK ElGamal Proof program, the swiftness of the corrective actions, and the comprehensive review of the applied patches has effectively reinstated trust in the platform’s security architecture.
With the network’s defenses now enhanced and no evidence of successful exploitation, the Solana ecosystem continues to function securely, ensuring the protection of all user assets.
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