Collateral Verification Flaw

Definition ∞ A collateral verification flaw refers to a vulnerability in a lending protocol or financial system where the value or existence of assets pledged as security cannot be accurately or reliably confirmed. This defect can allow borrowers to overstate their collateral, borrow more than their actual backing, or even use non-existent assets. Such a flaw exposes lenders to significant default risk and potential capital losses. It compromises the integrity of the lending mechanism.
Context ∞ In decentralized finance (DeFi), collateral verification flaws pose severe risks to lending pools and stablecoin mechanisms, frequently appearing in crypto news when protocols suffer exploits. Incorrect price oracles, re-entrancy attacks, or logic errors in smart contracts can lead to miscalculations of collateral value, resulting in undercollateralized loans and protocol insolvency. Addressing these flaws is paramount for the security and stability of the DeFi ecosystem.