Snapping Snap Sync - Practical Attacks on Go Ethereum Synchronising Nodes

Explore a 14-minute conference talk from USENIX Security '23 that delves into practical attacks on Go Ethereum synchronizing nodes. Discover three novel attacks that allow adversaries with minimal network mining power to manipulate synchronizing nodes, causing them to deviate from consensus and operate on an adversary-controlled blockchain. Learn how these attacks were successfully implemented in a test network and their potential for financial exploitation through off-chain trading and arbitrary code execution. Understand the implications for Ethereum Classic and EthereumPoW, two Ethereum forks still using proof-of-work consensus with a combined market capitalization of around 3 billion USD. Gain insights into the vulnerabilities that existed in the pre-Merge Ethereum mainnet from 2017 to 2022, as presented by researchers Massimiliano Taverna and Kenneth G. Paterson from ETH Zurich.

USENIX Security '23 - Snapping Snap Sync: Practical Attacks on Go Ethereum Synchronising Nodes