Friends in the cryptocurrency circle know that exchanges are important platforms for us to conduct digital currency transactions. However, with the continuous development of the digital currency market, the security threats faced by exchanges are becoming increasingly severe. Today, let's talk about 10 vulnerabilities found in the exchange source code security audit that may lead to asset theft.

1. SQL Injection Vulnerability

SQL injection is a common network attack method. Hackers can construct malicious SQL statements to bypass the exchange's authentication mechanism and directly access and modify data in the database. Once the user's asset information in the database is leaked, the consequences will be unimaginable. For example, hackers can transfer users' assets to their own accounts.

2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Attack

An XSS attack means that hackers inject malicious scripts into web pages. When users visit the affected pages, the scripts will execute in the users' browsers. This may lead to the theft of users' sensitive information, such as login credentials and private keys. Hackers can use this information to log in to users' accounts and steal their assets.

3. Weak Password Policy

If an exchange adopts a weak password policy, users' passwords are easily cracked. Hackers can obtain users' passwords through brute force cracking or dictionary attacks and then log in to users' accounts to transfer assets. Therefore, exchanges should force users to set strong passwords, such as passwords containing letters, numbers, and special characters.

4. Unauthorized Access Vulnerability

An unauthorized access vulnerability allows hackers to access the exchange's sensitive functions or data without proper permissions. For example, hackers may be able to access users' transaction records, asset balances, etc., and even perform unauthorized trading operations.

5. Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer than its capacity when processing data. This may cause the program to crash or be exploited by hackers to execute malicious code. In an exchange system, a buffer overflow vulnerability may be used to bypass authentication or perform illegal operations.

6. Encryption Algorithm Vulnerability

If the encryption algorithm used by an exchange has vulnerabilities, users' private keys and transaction data may be cracked. Hackers can use the cracked private keys to access users' wallets and steal their assets. Therefore, exchanges should choose secure and reliable encryption algorithms and update encryption keys regularly.

7. Session Management Vulnerability

A session management vulnerability may lead to the hijacking of users' sessions. Hackers can steal users' session IDs and impersonate users to log in to exchange accounts. Once hackers control users' sessions, they can perform various operations, including asset transfers.

8. Code Injection Vulnerability

A code injection vulnerability allows hackers to inject malicious code into the exchange's code. This code may execute on the server side, leading to the server being controlled or users' data being leaked. For example, hackers can inject code to modify users' transaction records or transfer assets.

9. Configuration Error

Configuration errors in an exchange's system may lead to security vulnerabilities. For example, incorrect permission settings may allow unauthorized users to access sensitive data. In addition, configuration errors may also cause the server's security mechanism to fail, making the exchange more vulnerable to attacks.

10. Third-Party Library Vulnerability

Exchanges usually use third-party libraries to implement various functions. However, if these third-party libraries have security vulnerabilities, the exchange will also be affected. Hackers can use the vulnerabilities in third-party libraries to attack the exchange and obtain users' asset information.

In cryptocurrency investment, security is crucial. As the custodian of our assets, exchanges must pay attention to the security audit of source code. Only by promptly detecting and fixing these vulnerabilities can users' asset security be guaranteed. I hope that when choosing an exchange, you also pay attention to whether its security measures are in place to avoid asset losses due to security issues.