A vulnerability has been identified in the NEAR protocol that could potentially take down entire network nodes. The vulnerability was quietly patched in January, but similar flaws may still exist in some networks, according to a September 26 report by blockchain security firm Zellic.

The researchers discovered the vulnerability while examining NEAR’s peer-to-peer network protocol. One of the nodes that accepts two types of cryptographic signatures crashed when verifying the SECP256K1 signature. This was described as a “Web3 Ping of Death” that could instantly take down the entire network.

What steps should be taken to prevent such vulnerabilities? Let’s discuss in the comments.