CertiK Receives $500k For the Discovery of a Vulnerability in Sui Network

Smart-contract audit company CertiK has been awarded the sum of $500k by Sui Foundation for the discovery of a potential attack vector on the Sui network.

The firm discovered a vulnerability that a malicious smart contract can trigger, leading to an endless circle for the blockchains nodes, and paralysis of the network.

According to a press release from CertiK on June 19, the HamsterWheel attack is different from traditional attacks that shut down chains by crashing nodes. Instead, it works like something running on a hamster wheel by trapping all nodes in a state of ceaseless operation without processing new transactions.

It is capable of crippling entire networks and eventually making them inoperable. Chief security officer at CertiK, Kang Li, said that “the discovery of the HamsterWheel attack demonstrates the evolving sophistication of threats to blockchain networks”.

The Sui Foundation revealed that the identification of the bug will enable a team of developers to install two main measures capable of reducing the possible effect of a similar issue in the long run. They have rolled out fixes for the bug and a full technical report will be published later, said CertiK