Share Delay Attack

Definition ∞ A share delay attack is a specific type of attack targeting mining pools in proof-of-work cryptocurrencies. In this attack, a malicious miner intentionally delays submitting valid “shares” (partial proofs of work) to the mining pool until a block is successfully found by the pool or another entity. The attacker then submits their delayed shares, claiming rewards for work that was not genuinely contributed to the pool’s collective effort to find that specific block. This action can unfairly redistribute mining rewards.
Context ∞ Share delay attacks represent a security concern within the operational dynamics of proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining pools, often appearing in discussions about mining decentralization and fairness. The situation involves mining pools continuously implementing and refining detection and mitigation strategies to counter such deceptive practices. A critical future development is the ongoing improvement of mining pool protocols to reduce the profitability and feasibility of these attacks, ensuring more equitable reward distribution among participants.