Bugcrowd VRT 1.15: Strengthening blockchain, crypto, and zero-knowledge security against emerging threats

At Bugcrowd, we continuously evolve our Vulnerability Rating Taxonomy (VRT) to ensure hackers and customers stay ahead of emerging threats. With the latest release of VRT 1.15, we are expanding our coverage to include blockchain and crypto-related vulnerabilities, including security flaws in decentralized applications, smart contracts, blockchain infrastructure, and zero-knowledge implementations. These additions provide greater precision in classifying and addressing security risks unique to decentralized ecosystems.

 

Why this matters

The rise of blockchain technology, decentralized finance (DeFi), and cryptographic innovations introduces novel attack vectors, with real-world incidents like smart contract exploits draining millions in assets and bridge vulnerabilities leading to cross-chain security breaches. Recent attacks such as the exploitation of improperly validated staking logic and oracle price manipulation underscore the urgent need for a standardized vulnerability classification system. Hackers and organizations need a standardized framework to classify vulnerabilities effectively, ensuring a proactive approach to securing digital assets and protocols. The VRT 1.15 update helps streamline the identification, reporting, and remediation of security flaws in decentralized applications (dApps) and infrastructure.

 

Key enhancements in VRT 1.15

Decentralized Application (DApp) misconfiguration

DApps introduces unique security challenges, particularly in data storage, access control, and financial transactions. New classifications include:

  • Insecure data storage: Exposure of plaintext private keys and sensitive information.
  • Improper authorization: Insufficient signature validation leading to unauthorized actions.
  • DeFi security threats: Flash loan attacks, pricing oracle manipulation, function-level accounting errors, and governance implementation flaws.
  • Marketplace security risks: Signer account takeovers, unauthorized asset transfers, orderbook manipulation, malicious order offers, OFAC bypass, and deposit/withdrawal validation failures.
  • Protocol security misconfigurations: Node-level denial of service.

Protocol-specific misconfiguration

Decentralized protocols require strict validation mechanisms. Common attack vectors now included in VRT 1.15 are:

  • Frontrunning and sandwich attacks: Exploiting transaction ordering to gain an unfair advantage.
  • Misconfigured staking logic: Improper reward calculations or unintended fund withdrawals.
  • Finalization logic flaws: Weak validation allowing unintended chain state modifications.

Smart contract misconfiguration

Smart contracts are integral to decentralized finance, but improper implementation can result in devastating exploits. VRT 1.15 now recognizes:

  • Reentrancy attacks: Allowing repeated fund withdrawals before the contract updates its state.
  • Owner takeover: Unauthorized privilege escalations.
  • Integer overflow/underflow: Exploiting numerical operations to bypass controls.
  • Improper use of modifiers: Bypassing access control mechanisms.
  • Rounding and fee calculation errors: Leading to incorrect token distributions or pricing discrepancies.

Zero-knowledge security misconfiguration

Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are crucial for privacy-preserving applications, but improper implementation can expose vulnerabilities. New categories include:

  • Missing constraints: Allowing invalid proofs to be accepted.
  • Bit-length mismatches: Weakening cryptographic guarantees.
  • Deanonymization risks: Exposing supposedly private transactions.

Blockchain infrastructure misconfiguration

  • Bridge security risks: Weak validation of cross-chain asset transfers, enabling potential exploits.

 

What’s next?

As blockchain and cryptographic applications evolve, Bugcrowd will continue to refine the VRT to stay ahead of emerging threats. We encourage hackers and customers to review the VRT 1.15 update and integrate these classifications into their security assessments.

Start leveraging VRT 1.15 today! Visit our VRT repository to explore the latest classifications and ensure your security workflows align with cutting-edge vulnerability research.

For further inquiries, reach out to Bugcrowd or participate in our community discussions to share feedback and insights.

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