According to ChainCatcher, the Cardano network recently experienced a temporary chain split due to a 'malformed' delegated transaction. These transactions involve delegating ADA to a staking pool, which, while valid at the protocol level, can lead to code malfunctions affecting network functionality.
An event report from Cardano ecosystem organization Intersect revealed that the transaction exploited an old code vulnerability in Cardano's underlying software library, causing nodes to diverge in transaction processing methods, ultimately resulting in the network split. The vulnerability was triggered by Homer J, an ADA staking pool operator, who used AI-generated code to push the transaction and has admitted responsibility for the network split.
Staking pool operators have been instructed to download the latest version of the node software to resolve the issue and reintegrate the split chain into a complete blockchain. The temporary split has sparked debate within the Cardano community, with some arguing that Homer J's actions helped expose critical vulnerabilities, while others, including Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson, have labeled it an attack on the Cardano network. The FBI is now involved in the investigation.
A user humorously remarked, 'No one noticed Cardano's network partition because no one uses it.'
