Uniswap adds seven trading sources while 0x disputes protection against malicious hooks
Uniswap expands routing across seven external sources
Uniswap Labs activated aggregator hooks on Ethereum, Base, and Robinhood Chain on Oct. 22. This update allows its web app and API to route trades through external liquidity from platforms like Curve, Fluid, and PancakeSwap. The company stated that these seven new sources cover more than 90% of decentralized exchange activity on those three networks.
The new adapters, built by Uniswap, connect external liquidity as Uniswap v4 pools. Fees generated through these routes contribute to UNI token burns. While this expansion aims to provide better prices and deeper liquidity, it comes amid ongoing debates about the safety of third-party hooks in the Uniswap v4 architecture.
Key figures from 0x’s security report
- 0x analyzed 84,163 hooks across six chains in a September study.
- 54.2% of those hooks were classified as malicious, and 26.4% as likely malicious.
- Malicious hooks were reported to quote one price but settle at another, with some trades delivering up to 50% less than quoted.
- A specific Base hook recorded 6,516 fills and $143,037 in fees, while a BNB Chain hook recorded 4,879 fills and $18,592.
0x disputes Uniswap’s safety claims
Trades aggregator 0x argues that Uniswap’s protections do not fully shield users from malicious hooks. An engineer at 0x alleged that at least one malicious hook was included in Uniswap’s allowlist. Additionally, a Robinhood Chain transaction reportedly routed through Uniswap’s interface suffered a loss where a malicious hook took 4.8% of one routing leg, equivalent to 1.2% of the total trade. 0x noted that roughly 70% of its transactions touch Uniswap liquidity, making this a significant operational risk for their platform.
Uniswap and Paradigm defend the hook system
Uniswap founder Hayden Adams dismissed 0x’s criticism in September, suggesting it was a “skill issue” and that users should not route trades to bad hooks. He emphasized that Uniswap’s own API offers a way to access broad liquidity while avoiding malicious hooks. Dan Robinson of Paradigm, a firm closely associated with Uniswap, argued that aggregators should vet arbitrary hooks before routing to them, maintaining that Uniswap’s router already performs this function.
Current mitigations and audit findings
On Oct. 16, Uniswap updated its routing guidance, stating that its router automatically considers eligible hooks but requires manual allowlisting for hooks with specific permissions, such as beforeSwap or dynamic-fee. An Oct. 8 audit by OpenZeppelin documented optional per-hop slippage checks. However, the audit covered only two specific pull requests and noted that security audits and guarantees are outside the scope of the routing approval process. It remains unconfirmed whether Uniswap screens the specific pools behind its new adapters or vets the adapters themselves.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.