The technology product manager of Lightning Labs, one of the development companies behind the Lightning Network, reported a memory leak bug in the recent Lightning Network Daemon (LND) version 0.16.3, and now urges operators not to upgrade or roll back. to the previous version for those who have already updated their software.
The memory leak bug in LND version 0.16.3
The memory leak flaw discovered in LND 0.16.3 could affect node operators on the Bitcoin Lightning Network, a Layer 2 scaling solution for the world’s most valuable blockchain, deployed by Lightning Labs.
This bug causes memory leaks which, over time, can cause the demand for available memory to increase. This can lead to a gradual increase in the amount of memory used by the program, which can eventually cause the node to hang, impacting operations and, most importantly, reliability.
Subsequently, the risks associated with this bug can negatively influence the performance and stability of the Lightning Network node, interrupting transaction processing and the entire functioning of the node.
Securing the lightning network
In reaction to the flaw, the developers have informed Lightning Network node operators should wait to upgrade to LND 0.16.3 until a fix is implemented or a stable release is available. Although there are always software glitches in complicated systems, the severity of this specific fault requires extreme caution and prompt treatment.
Specifically, those who have already updated to LND version 0.16.3 are suggested to downgrade to version 0.16.2, which is secure. It may be possible to restore the stability of the Lightning Network node and reduce the risk of the memory leak issue by downgrading.
The Bitcoin community places great importance on being informed about crucial software updates as well as known vulnerabilities.
Constantly monitoring official channels, such as project repositories and community forums, can help operators stay abreast of the latest advancements and any issues affecting their nodes.
Since June 18, there is were 16,389 Bitcoin Lightning Network nodes, while the capacity of the Layer 2 platform stood at 5,412.32 BTC, up 2% in the last day.
