XRP Ledger Activates Major Security Fix to Block Unauthorized Token Creation

In Brief:

• XRP Ledger activated fixCleanup3_4_0 on November 4, addressing a security vulnerability that could allow unauthorized creation of issued digital tokens.
• Validator approval delays pushed the amendment into November, while additional corrections strengthened trading restrictions, transaction signatures, and asset management controls.
• XRP Ledger transaction fee burns surged 627% to 1,821.11 XRP, marking the highest daily total recorded within one month alone.

The XRP Ledger has activated a major security amendment that prevents unauthorized token creation through a vulnerability in its permission system. The upgrade also strengthens transaction controls and addresses several technical issues affecting issued assets.

According to XRPLWin amendment tracker data, fixCleanup3_4_0 activated on November 4 at 14:52 UTC, reaching ledger 108,112,129. Its implementation followed sustained validator approval after an earlier voting period failed in October.

XRP Ledger Closes Token Creation Vulnerability Through Security Upgrade

The correction addresses a weakness in XRP Ledger’s permission delegation system, which allows accounts to authorize specific transactions. Previously, certain delegated permissions could unintentionally grant capabilities beyond their intended purpose, creating potential risks for issued digital assets.

Significantly, the vulnerability involved PaymentBurn authorization, which allows designated accounts to destroy issued tokens without receiving broader issuance privileges. Stablecoin issuers can use this permission when processing redemptions, allowing authorized providers to destroy tokens following customer withdrawals.

Under previous transaction rules, accounts holding PaymentBurn permission could potentially create issued tokens under specific payment conditions. This weakness occurred when delegated payments crossed a zero-balance boundary, creating an unintended connection between token destruction and issuance.

Developers addressed the problem by restricting such transactions, preventing unauthorized token creation through the affected mechanism. The vulnerability concerned issued assets, including stablecoins and Multi-Purpose Tokens, rather than XRP itself.

Validator Approval Delayed Security Amendment Activation

The amendment reached activation after an earlier approval period failed to satisfy XRP Ledger’s mandatory voting requirements. Network rules require more than 80% validator support for 14 consecutive days before amendments become operational.

With 35 validators on the tracked default list, the amendment required approval from at least 29 participants. Initially, voting began on October 9, placing the expected activation around October 23.

Validator support subsequently dropped below the required threshold on October 21, interrupting the approval process. A renewed majority emerged later that day, allowing another mandatory voting period to begin. XRPLWin records confirm the second approval period lasted 14 days and five minutes before activation.

Additional Corrections Strengthen Trading and Transaction Controls

Beyond token issuance security, fixCleanup3_4_0 introduces corrections affecting decentralized trading, transaction signatures, and asset management. One adjustment prevents unintended liquidity provider token destruction during automated market maker clawback transactions involving rounding calculations.

Additionally, developers strengthened permissioned trading restrictions to prevent accounts from receiving assets through transactions that violate issuer controls. Other improvements address escrow reserves, Multi-Purpose Token authorization, and transaction signing procedures.

Meanwhile, the amendment includes accounting corrections supporting Single Asset Vaults and the proposed XRP Ledger lending protocol. These adjustments address loan calculations and vault accounting, while lending features still require separate validator approval.

XRP Ledger Transaction Fee Burns Surge 627% Amid Increased Network Activity

Meanwhile, XRP Ledger recorded a significant increase in transaction fee burns, reflecting greater fee consumption across the blockchain network. As previously reported by 36Crypto, XRPScan data showed that the network burned 1,821.11 XRP on November 3. This marked the highest daily burn total recorded within one month.

The figure represented a 627% increase from October 4, when transaction fees removed approximately 250.37 XRP from circulation. Significantly, XRP Ledger permanently destroys transaction fees rather than distributing them to validators, gradually reducing the cryptocurrency’s available supply.

The increase highlights greater transaction fee consumption across the network, although higher burns do not necessarily indicate increased transaction counts. The November 4 amendment activation strengthens existing transaction safeguards as XRP Ledger records increased fee-burning activity.