Nazia Saeed
- MetaMask bug causes extreme disk writing, damaging SSD lifespan
- Affected users see up to 500GB written daily, even when idle
- Consensys confirms fix is “imminent” and issue impacts users with large state files
Consensys, the blockchain company behind the popular MetaMask browser wallet, is preparing to release a critical fix for a bug that’s been silently damaging solid-state drives (SSDs) for some users. The issue, first reported in June, results in excessive background disk activity, even when the MetaMask extension is not in use.
In a statement to Cointelegraph, a Consensys spokesperson confirmed the company is aware of “unusually high disk activity” reported by a small group of MetaMask users and said a fix would be “released imminently.”
500GB daily disk writing reported
The problem came to light through a GitHub post on June 24 by user “ripper31337,” who noticed that after installing MetaMask on a Chromium-based browser like Chrome, Edge, or Opera, the extension started constantly writing data to the disk. This occurred without any user interaction, the user said.
At a rate of around 5 megabytes per second, the writing could total up to 500 gigabytes per day or 25 terabytes over just three months. Such usage could severely shorten an SSD’s lifespan, which under normal conditions is designed to last five to ten years.
Consensys explained that while some degree of disk writing is expected for browser wallets, the current issue is abnormal and linked to users with large internal state files.
The issue predominantly impacts users with unusually large states,” the spokesperson said. We’re exploring strategies for reducing state size and the frequency of write operations.
Consensys also noted it’s working to optimize how and when data is fetched, aiming to reduce unnecessary operations when MetaMask is idle.
Bug report dates back months
Though the issue gained wider attention in late June, signs of the bug may have emerged earlier. In a May 9 review, user “Quanquan” said MetaMask on Chrome for macOS had written 100GB of data to their SSD in just one day, despite not actively using the extension. Disabling MetaMask immediately stopped the excessive writing.
The post was not initially addressed, though it was flagged as “useful” by other users.
On July 17, GitHub user “PopCatMAGA” reported the bug remains unresolved and claimed it had already cut their SSD’s lifespan in half.
The worst part is that many users don’t even know this is happening,” they wrote. Fix this mess already seriously, this is unacceptable.
A MetaMask team member responded on July 19, confirming that the team is actively working on a patch.
Until the fix is rolled out, users are advised to monitor MetaMask’s disk usage or consider disabling the extension if concerned about hardware wear.
