Security Researchers Say Deprecated Smart Contracts Can Remain Vulnerable After Maintenance Ends

Security researchers are warning that deprecated smart contracts may stay exposed to security risks even after a project stops maintaining them. According to Cointelegraph, the researchers said these contracts can remain vulnerable long after they have been phased out, creating ongoing risk for users and ecosystems that may still interact with them directly or indirectly. The warning highlights that ending active development or support does not necessarily eliminate the security implications of older onchain code. The researchers’ comments focus on the persistence of smart contract vulnerabilities over time, emphasizing that deprecated contracts can continue to present attack surfaces despite no longer being part of a project’s current roadmap or maintenance cycle.