XRP Ledger defends emergency patch for unlimited XRP bug
XRPL developers defended an emergency patch released Sept. 25 for an integer-overflow bug that could have created spendable XRP beyond the fixed supply. The flaw, present since 2015, could be exploited using specially constructed offers, though developers said there was no evidence it had been used on a public network. They bypassed the usual two-week validator amendment process to avoid exposing the vulnerability while a fix was pending. The XRPL Foundation said the decision was made jointly by developers, RippleX, validators and the Foundation, while operators remained free to choose whether to install the software. Critics said the rapid, coordinated release raised questions about XRPL’s decentralization; supporters argued coordination does not equal centralized control.
