The XRP Ledger Foundation has uncovered a critical vulnerability in the official JavaScript library utilized for interacting with the XRP Ledger blockchain network, as per the nonprofit organization. Aikido, a blockchain security expert, revealed in a blog post on April 22 that the open-source JavaScript library of XRP Ledger had been compromised by sophisticated attackers who inserted a backdoor to pilfer cryptocurrency private keys and access cryptocurrency wallets. The JavaScript library contains tools that allow developers to engage with the XRP Ledger, separate from the blockchain network itself. Aikido warned that this package is utilized by numerous applications and websites, making it a potentially disastrous supply chain attack on the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The XRP Ledger Foundation has promptly updated the code repository to eliminate the compromised version, as indicated in an April 22 post on the X platform. Several XRP Ledger ecosystem projects, including XRPScan, First Ledger, and Gen3 Games, confirmed that they were not affected by the breach. Despite the security incident, the XRP token concluded the US trading day with over a 3.5% increase, according to CoinGecko. With a market capitalization surpassing $125 billion and a fully diluted value of about $215 billion, the XRP token has demonstrated resilience. Launched in 2012, the XRP Ledger is one of the oldest blockchain networks, specializing in payments and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications for institutions. The network has been gaining traction recently due to a more favorable US regulatory environment, facilitating broader institutional adoption of the token and ecosystem projects. The XRP token’s price surged by over 300% following the victory of crypto-friendly US President Donald Trump in the November election, reports CoinGecko. Asset managers have urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to approve US-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) holding the XRP token. Notably, Coinbase introduced futures contracts for the XRP token on its US derivatives exchange on April 21.
