A replay attack is an exploit that can occur when two forked crypto-currencies allow transactions to be valid across both chains.
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In this article:
What is a replay attack?
A replay attack can occur during a blockchain hard fork when no replay protection is in place.
This attack happens when a malicious party duplicates a transaction from one network, either the original or forked, onto the other network, creating identical transactions on both.
This doesn't mean someone else controls your funds, but it can lead to unintentional fund transfers on both networks, which can cause potential losses for the user.
To ensure the safety of your funds, avoid sending or swapping your forked crypto without replay protection, as attacks can occur months or even years later.
What is replay protection?
Replay protection is a security feature for forked crypto networks that prevents replay attacks by requiring unique identifying information for transactions.
Identifying features such as timestamps or unique Chain IDs ensures that duplicate transactions can't be submitted across networks, protecting against attacks.