NEAR Co-Founder Warns of Pervasive 'Security Armageddon'

Polosukhin’s assessment focuses on the fragility of modern web stacks, where a single compromised component often destabilizes entire downstream applications. He specifically highlighted risks within PHP-based environments like WordPress, alongside vulnerabilities in TLS certificate handling and LiteLLM packages. These technical flaws, ranging from memory-handling errors to improper credential routing, create a compounding effect that exposes the broader internet to coordinated threats.

To counter this, Polosukhin advocates for a shift toward AI-driven security auditing and formal verification—a process that uses mathematical proofs to ensure code adheres to strict authorization rules. While NEAR recently demonstrated an AI agent capable of solving complex mathematical benchmarks, the co-founder acknowledges that reliable AI systems are still required to bridge the gap between raw software behavior and formal mathematical models. Beyond automated defenses, he urges developers to abandon traditional API keys in favor of cryptographic authentication, while prioritizing rigorous credential rotation and rapid patching to mitigate immediate exposure.