Resolving the token loss vulnerability in the Ethereum ERC-20 standard

IF 6.5 3区计算机科学 Q1 COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Blockchain-Research and Applications Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-07-02 DOI:10.1016/j.bcra.2025.100329

Nattawat Songsom, Jakapan Suaboot, Warodom Werapun

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Custom tokens are fundamental in decentralized Applications (dApps) operating on Ethereum and other Blockchain platforms. Ethereum, in particular, relies on the ERC-20 standard as a widely accepted token interface, facilitating seamless integration with numerous pre-existing dApps, user interface platforms, and popular web applications like exchange services. A notable security challenge within the ERC-20 framework is the “lost token problem”. This problem arises because users occasionally send tokens to the wrong addresses, and it has caused more than $27 million in damage. In this paper, we evaluate three existing solutions to this issue. Through the utilization of formal modeling, property specification, and the Temporal Logic of Actions (TLA). Most importantly, we propose a novel double-layer solution to remedy the ERC-20 vulnerability. Our formal verification and experimental results indicate our approach encompasses the protection of the already deployed smart contracts, which is a critical aspect that has never been addressed in the existing mitigation techniques.

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解决以太坊ERC-20标准中的令牌丢失漏洞

自定义令牌是在以太坊和其他区块链平台上运行的去中心化应用程序（dApps）的基础。特别是以太坊，它依赖于ERC-20标准作为广泛接受的令牌接口，促进与众多现有dapp，用户界面平台和流行的web应用程序（如交换服务）的无缝集成。ERC-20框架中一个值得注意的安全挑战是“丢失令牌问题”。这个问题的出现是因为用户偶尔会把代币发送到错误的地址，这已经造成了超过2700万美元的损失。在本文中，我们评估了这一问题的三种现有解决方案。通过使用形式化建模、属性规范和动作时间逻辑（TLA）。最重要的是，我们提出了一种新的双层解决方案来弥补ERC-20漏洞。我们的正式验证和实验结果表明，我们的方法包括保护已经部署的智能合约，这是现有缓解技术从未解决的一个关键方面。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Blockchain-Research and Applications

CiteScore

11.30

自引率

3.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： Blockchain: Research and Applications is an international, peer reviewed journal for researchers, engineers, and practitioners to present the latest advances and innovations in blockchain research. The journal publishes theoretical and applied papers in established and emerging areas of blockchain research to shape the future of blockchain technology.