The Lightning Network, a cross – layer system constructed on top of BTC to address the deficiencies of the tiny issue BTC network in terms of the protocol’s practicality as a currency or micropayments system, has recently been the focus of investigation. This section outlines the two forms of Lightning Network Attack.
The First Type is a Bereavement Attack
It is essentially a form of cyber vandalism. According to the study, because of the past and present congestion characteristics of a memory space limited BTC, the fullback of unabsorbed operations on the chain enables for a purposeful rejection strike on LN recognized as a ‘zombie attack,’ which simply means that attackers may start to open numerous channels, sit tight for a period of intense BTC network problems, and then start changing their LN nodes to really be non – responsive.
The Second Type of Assault is More Concerning
Rather from just being a kind of nuisanceĀ or vandalism, the researchers calculated how several nodes would need to collude in order to effectively steal funds during periods of historical congestion on the BTC network, given the LN network’s present design. (Spoiler: it’s just 30 minutes). This is a sort of double spent threat in which hackers on LN attempt to publish inaccurate closures loop transactions to the chain in its favor.