How does Monero address the issue of transaction malleability?

Monero addresses the issue of transaction malleability through the use of Ring Confidential Transactions (RingCT). Here's how RingCT helps mitigate transaction malleability:

1. **Confidential Transactions**: Monero's RingCT protocol allows for confidential transactions, where the amounts being transacted are hidden from outside observers. This is achieved through the use of cryptographic commitments, which cryptographically bind the transaction amounts without revealing them.

2. **Range Proofs**: In addition to hiding transaction amounts, RingCT includes range proofs, which prove that the transaction amounts are within a valid range without revealing the actual values. Range proofs ensure that no negative or excessively large values are being created in the transaction, thus preventing inflation or other attacks.

3. **Ring Signatures**: Monero utilizes ring signatures to obfuscate the transaction inputs, making it computationally infeasible to determine the true sender of a transaction. Each transaction includes multiple possible signers, or "ring members," of which only one is the actual sender. This helps to prevent the modification of transaction inputs, a common form of transaction malleability.

4. **Commitment Schemes**: Monero uses cryptographic commitment schemes to commit to the transaction details before they are revealed on the blockchain. Once committed, these details cannot be altered without invalidating the transaction. This prevents attackers from modifying transaction data after it has been committed, thus addressing transaction malleability.

By integrating these privacy-enhancing features into its protocol, Monero effectively addresses the issue of transaction malleability, ensuring the integrity and security of transactions on its blockchain.