Introduction
Cross-chain bridges have become the most exploited category in crypto, with over $2 billion lost in 2022 alone. Understanding bridge vulnerabilities is critical for the industry.
Common Attack Vectors
- Validator key compromise (Ronin Bridge - $625M)
- Smart contract vulnerabilities (Wormhole - $326M)
- Merkle proof forgery (BSC Bridge - $570M)
- Signature verification bypass (Nomad - $190M)
Bridge exploits often result in catastrophic losses because they control assets across multiple chains.
Security Recommendations
- Implement multi-sig with geographically distributed signers
- Use fraud proofs and challenge periods
- Add rate limiting for large withdrawals
- Maintain security monitoring and incident response
$2B+ Lost
Bridges are the highest-risk category
Multi-sig Required
Never use single validator
Rate Limiting
Protect against drain attacks