Critical MetaMask Issue: Excessive Data Writes Degrade SSDs

A significant vulnerability has emerged within the MetaMask browser extension, sparking considerable concern among cryptocurrency users regarding the longevity of hardware and the integrity of their data. Reports indicate that, under certain configurations, the popular wallet plugin is engaged in an excessive and continuous writing of gigabytes of data to Solid State Drives (SSDs), a practice that could substantially degrade these components and lead to premature failure.

• The MetaMask browser extension has been identified as excessively writing large volumes of data (up to 500GB daily) to users’ Solid State Drives (SSDs).
• This anomalous behavior primarily impacts browsers built on the Chromium engine, including Google Chrome and Opera, and risks prematurely degrading SSDs.
• Initial reports of this issue date back to March 2025, with numerous users noting a perceptible decline in computer performance.
• Consensys, the developer of MetaMask, has acknowledged the “unusually high activity” and announced an imminent patch.
• Proposed solutions include reducing the size and frequency of data writes, while the only temporary workaround identified is complete uninstallation of the extension.

Understanding the Data Overwrite Vulnerability

The issue gained widespread attention following a detailed report published on GitHub by user ripper31337, who meticulously documented the extension writing an astonishing 500GB of data daily. This anomalous behavior has been primarily observed in browsers built on the Chromium engine, encompassing widely used platforms such as Google Chrome and Opera. The incessant data writes occur within the browser’s Local Extension Setting folder, specifically targeting critical files like 011717.log, 011719.ldb, and MANIFEST-000001. Such persistent, high-volume write operations are highly unusual for a standard browser extension and have the potential to significantly exceed the endurance limits of SSDs, which are engineered for a finite number of write cycles before degradation occurs.

User Impact and Historical Context

While a multitude of users have reported experiencing these excessive write operations over the past month, an earlier account from user Michael S documented a similar issue dating back to March 2025. This suggests the problem may have a longer history than initially perceived. Many users have also noted a tangible decline in overall computer performance, directly attributing it to the incessant data writing bug. The data writing activity initiates immediately upon browser activation, even when the MetaMask plugin is not actively engaged or being used by the user. Currently, the only verified temporary workaround involves the complete uninstallation of the extension, highlighting the severity and pervasive nature of the problem.

Developer Response and Mitigation Strategies

Consensys, the development company behind MetaMask, has officially acknowledged the emergent problem. A company representative, in a statement to Cointelegraph, clarified that while routine state-to-disk writes are an expected function for cryptocurrency wallet extensions, they are indeed aware of the “unusually high activity” reported by a subset of their user base. Consensys has indicated that a patch designed to address this concerning behavior is imminent. The proposed solutions aim to mitigate the impact on user hardware while preserving full operational functionality. These measures include a reduction in the size of individual data writes and a decrease in the frequency of data sampling, strategies expected to significantly alleviate the burden on SSDs.