XRP Ledger Patches 10-Year Bug that Threatened $94B in Tokens

The XRP Ledger has resolved a significant issue that could have enabled attackers to generate trillions of fake XRP. If exploited, this flaw could have undermined trust in the network. Surprisingly, the problem had existed since 2015 and had gone unnoticed, despite the ledger’s security measures designed to prevent the creation of unauthorized XRP. 

According to security researcher Cayden Liao and Veria AI, the loophole was discovered and promptly fixed, averting a major threat to the network.

Decade-Old Bug Threatens XRP’s Integrity

The vulnerability stemmed from the payment system of the XRP Ledger. This system allows transactions to go through various offers on its built-in exchange. In some cases, a transaction that involved multiple offers could cause a calculation error, leading to an arithmetic overflow. This error would result in requiring less XRP than needed for the transaction.

As a result, an attacker could receive the full amount of a payment while paying much less. If they repeated this process, they could create fake XRP without following the correct rules of the ledger. 

The potential impact was serious, with estimates suggesting that around 18 trillion counterfeit XRP could be generated. This posed a threat to XRP’s market value of $94 billion, which could harm trust in the market, lead to large sell-offs, and create uncertainty for exchanges and regular users about the validity of existing tokens.

Developers promptly fixed the issue in version 3.4.1 of the XRP Ledger software, which was released on September 25, 2026. Additionally, they added stronger accounting checks. Notably, there is currently no evidence of an exploit of this flaw on public networks before the fix was released.

Zcash’s Counterfeiting Bug Raises Similar Security Concerns

The latest discovery mirrors a serious vulnerability in the Zcash network. Recently, a flaw in its Orchard shielded pool could have allowed attackers to create counterfeit ZEC. Security researcher Taylor Hornby identified the issue in May 2026, raising concerns about a cryptocurrency designed to protect transaction privacy.

Since shielded transactions conceal certain details, detecting the issuance of counterfeit coins can be particularly challenging. The Zcash developers coordinated an effective response and completed the vulnerability fix within days.

Notably, security researchers have played a crucial role in examining transaction logic, testing unusual scenarios, and identifying weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. Although the flaws in the XRP Ledger and Zcash involved different technical mechanisms, both exposed risks that could undermine trust in their respective cryptocurrencies.

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