How governments/ISPs can easily crash Bitcoin

Argwai96

legendary

Activity: 1036

Merit: 1000

Thug for life!

Quote from: UsernameBitcoin on October 31, 2014, 05:09:38 AM

Quote from: Elwar on October 31, 2014, 04:30:32 AM

That's not how Bitcoin works.
You sign your transaction on your computer. Then you send the signed transaction over the network. Anyone can view that signed transaction and they would not have your private key.

Yes, private keys from transactions can not be captured. But there are other cases where a private key is exposed. I also don't mean you can get any private key but many.

Your private key should never be exposed to the internet, as this is a sure way to have your money stolen from you.

If there is no way around transmitting your private key over the internet, you should only do so when it is in encrypted format, however even this is a very bad practice.

Bit N Roll

member

Activity: 67

Merit: 10

If they can crash it, then why arent they crashing it?

fathur01

full member

Activity: 700

Merit: 100

ow would this 'crash' bitcoin. If anything it would just increase the number of thefts. But highly doubtful.

_chance_

full member

Activity: 154

Merit: 100

That's really can't be the way but what they can do is block some ports but again protocol can hop to another channels easily.
I can't see any easier blackhat way to crash it.

LiteCoinGuy

legendary

Activity: 1148

Merit: 1014

In Satoshi I Trust

Quote from: UsernameBitcoin on October 31, 2014, 04:22:24 AM

I wonder what you think of this. Can it really be possible for the NSA or some large ISP to crash Bitcoin?

- observe internet traffic
- look for 51 character strings starting with 5 *
- collect them
- import keys and transfer all coins to own account

*for sure, many people send/receive/store their private keys unencrypted, e.g. when generating paper wallets online

ScryptAsic

hero member

Activity: 647

Merit: 501

GainerCoin.com 🔥 Masternode coin 🔥

Quote from: LeMiner on October 31, 2014, 06:36:39 AM

Quote from: Skoupi on October 31, 2014, 05:57:41 AM

Quote from: UsernameBitcoin on October 31, 2014, 04:22:24 AM

*for sure, many people send/receive/store their private keys unencrypted, e.g. when generating paper wallets online

This usually happens locally on your browser except if you are creating your private keys through a malicious web page... You have to worry about the code the web page is serving you and not about your isp...

Generate paper wallets disconnected from the internet is the general consensus.....

To OP: Private keys should only be stored locally, on your own computer, encrypted. They should never be send over any network and Bitcoin does not send private keys when broadcasting a transaction.

There are a number of websites that will allow you to generate a new bitcoin address locally, on your computer (to be more specific, on your browser). I would argue that it would appear, to someone with little technical understanding of bitcoin, that the UI makes it look like that the private key is generated by the website and then sent to the user.

harrymmmm

hero member

Activity: 576

Merit: 503

Quote from: UsernameBitcoin on October 31, 2014, 04:22:24 AM

I wonder what you think of this. Can it really be possible for the NSA or some large ISP to crash Bitcoin?

- observe internet traffic
- look for 51 character strings starting with 5 *
- collect them
- import keys and transfer all coins to own account

*for sure, many people send/receive/store their private keys unencrypted, e.g. when generating paper wallets online

Why on Earth didn't you ask this first in Bitcoin Forum > Other > Beginners & Help
so you don't look so stupid?
And your title isn't even phrased as a question!

RodeoX

legendary

Activity: 3066

Merit: 1147

The revolution will be monetized!

Quote from: segvec on October 31, 2014, 10:24:09 AM

Quote from: Elwar on October 31, 2014, 04:30:32 AM

That's not how Bitcoin works.

You sign your transaction on your computer. Then you send the signed transaction over the network. Anyone can view that signed transaction and they would not have your private key.

This.

/thread.

Agreed.
Why do so many threads start with a bold assertion in the title, then the text is a question about the correctness of the title?

segvec

full member

Activity: 196

Merit: 100

The cheddar breed jealousy

Quote from: Elwar on October 31, 2014, 04:30:32 AM

That's not how Bitcoin works.

You sign your transaction on your computer. Then you send the signed transaction over the network. Anyone can view that signed transaction and they would not have your private key.

This.

/thread.

bornil267645

sr. member

Activity: 406

Merit: 250

AltoCenter.com

As long as the So called bitcoin community stays united, it will never fail. But if and only if, bitcoin was just a government project from the beginning, then i'm not sure what will happen.

LeMiner

member

Activity: 139

Merit: 10

Quote from: Skoupi on October 31, 2014, 05:57:41 AM

Quote from: UsernameBitcoin on October 31, 2014, 04:22:24 AM

*for sure, many people send/receive/store their private keys unencrypted, e.g. when generating paper wallets online

This usually happens locally on your browser except if you are creating your private keys through a malicious web page... You have to worry about the code the web page is serving you and not about your isp...

Generate paper wallets disconnected from the internet is the general consensus.....

To OP: Private keys should only be stored locally, on your own computer, encrypted. They should never be send over any network and Bitcoin does not send private keys when broadcasting a transaction.

Sheldor333

sr. member

Activity: 406

Merit: 250

It wouldn't be as easy as you think. Read more on how it all actually happens.

Skoupi

sr. member

Activity: 252

Merit: 250

Skoupi the Great

Quote from: UsernameBitcoin on October 31, 2014, 04:22:24 AM

*for sure, many people send/receive/store their private keys unencrypted, e.g. when generating paper wallets online

This usually happens locally on your browser except if you are creating your private keys through a malicious web page... You have to worry about the code the web page is serving you and not about your isp...

turvarya

hero member

Activity: 714

Merit: 500

Please read a little bit into the topic before you make such suggestions.
The whole point of private/public key pairs, is that you don't send private keys.

Elwar

legendary

Activity: 3598

Merit: 2386

Viva Ut Vivas

Quote from: UsernameBitcoin on October 31, 2014, 05:09:38 AM

Quote from: Elwar on October 31, 2014, 04:30:32 AM

That's not how Bitcoin works.
You sign your transaction on your computer. Then you send the signed transaction over the network. Anyone can view that signed transaction and they would not have your private key.

Yes, private keys from transactions can not be captured. But there are other cases where a private key is exposed. I also don't mean you can get any private key but many.

Having your private key exposed on a network connected computer is vulnerable to anyone. Not just governments or ISPs. I would be more worried about a hacker if my private key is not behind encryption or in cold storage.

UsernameBitcoin

sr. member

Activity: 530

Merit: 250

CryptoTalk.Org - Get Paid for every Post!

Quote from: Elwar on October 31, 2014, 04:30:32 AM

That's not how Bitcoin works.
You sign your transaction on your computer. Then you send the signed transaction over the network. Anyone can view that signed transaction and they would not have your private key.

Yes, private keys from transactions can not be captured. But there are other cases where a private key is exposed. I also don't mean you can get any private key but many.

Elwar

legendary

Activity: 3598

Merit: 2386

Viva Ut Vivas

That's not how Bitcoin works.

You sign your transaction on your computer. Then you send the signed transaction over the network. Anyone can view that signed transaction and they would not have your private key.

UsernameBitcoin

sr. member

Activity: 530

Merit: 250

CryptoTalk.Org - Get Paid for every Post!

I wonder what you think of this. Can it really be possible for the NSA or some large ISP to crash Bitcoin?

- observe internet traffic
- look for 51 character strings starting with 5 *
- collect them
- import keys and transfer all coins to own account

*for sure, many people send/receive/store their private keys unencrypted, e.g. when generating paper wallets online

Topic: How governments/ISPs can easily crash Bitcoin (Read 1492 times)