The discovery of a crypto-stealing backdoor in the XRP Ledger’s JavaScript library has raised serious concerns across the blockchain development community. The vulnerability, uncovered by blockchain security researchers, has been linked to an official package used by numerous applications that interact with the XRP Ledger.
According to cybersecurity firm Aikido, attackers managed to infiltrate the open-source JavaScript library associated with the XRP Ledger, embedding harmful code capable of stealing private keys. This backdoor allows unauthorized access to cryptocurrency wallets, putting developers and users at risk.
The XRP Ledger JavaScript package in question plays a crucial role for developers, offering tools to seamlessly connect and build on the XRP Ledger blockchain infrastructure. It’s important to note that this package is separate from the XRP Ledger itself but is vital in powering many decentralized applications and websites within the ecosystem.
“This package is embedded in hundreds of thousands of apps and websites,” Aikido warned in its blog post, describing the compromise as a significant threat to the entire crypto development supply chain.
In response to the breach, the XRP Ledger Foundation swiftly upgraded the affected code and removed the compromised version from its official repository. The foundation confirmed the remedial action in an April 22 post on the X platform, ensuring the safety of future interactions with the library.
Several projects within the XRP Ledger ecosystem, including analytics platform XRPScan, identity solution First Ledger, and game studio Gen3 Games, have since confirmed that they were not affected by the attack.
Despite the alarming news, the price of the XRP token showed resilience. By the end of the U.S. trading day on April 22, XRP was up over 3.5%, as per CoinGecko data. The token maintained a market capitalization exceeding $125 billion, with a fully diluted valuation approximating $215 billion.
Institutional Interest Continues to Grow
Launched in 2012, the XRP Ledger is one of the oldest surviving blockchain platforms. It focuses on streamlined payments and decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions tailored for enterprise use. The platform and its native token have seen increasing interest amidst a more favorable U.S. regulatory landscape, especially for institutional adoption.
XRP experienced a surge of over 300% following the U.S. presidential election, buoyed by expectations of crypto-friendly policies under President Donald Trump’s administration. This spike has helped renew optimism about the token’s long-term utility and market growth.
Institutions are taking note. Multiple investment firms have submitted proposals to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that include XRP, hoping to secure approval for U.S.-listed products backed by the token. Notably, Coinbase recently launched XRP futures on its derivatives platform, signaling heightened momentum in traditional finance circles.
For more about XRP futures, see Coinbase Derivatives lists XRP futures.
The recent backdoor breach underscores the importance of stringent security protocols and proactive auditing within open-source ecosystems. As institutional and developer interest continues to surge, securing blockchain infrastructure against such threats remains paramount to ensuring user trust and long-term adoption.
To learn more about the vulnerability, check out Aikido’s full investigation here.
