Topic: What the 'Meltdown' and 'Spectre' CPU Flaws Mean for Cryptocurrency? (Read 106 times)

Recently leaked computer vulnerabilities Meltdown and Spectre offer yet another reminder of how hard the digital age makes it to keep private information – even cryptocurrency private keys – safe.

Unveiled Wednesday, the widespread hardware vulnerabilities simultaneously impact Intel, ARM and AMD computer chips, which power the vast majority of the world's computers, mobile devices and servers, making it possible to steal private data such as passwords, financial information or just about anything stored on any device that uses one of these chips.

Where this is important for cryptocurrency in particular is, hackers can potentially use the specific attack vector to pinch the private keys that allow users to control their bitcoins on the blockchain.

Popular Mechanics called it a "horrific" bug, contending it's "hard to zero in on the most troubling part of this flaw," while an informational page authored by security researchers remarks that you're "most certainly" impacted by the bug.

And though there's no evidence that any passwords have been compromised, experts say it wouldn't be surprising if hackers or the NSA have been exploiting the attack.

If you're already following best practices for cryptocurrency storage, then you're probably fine. But if not, or if you're a newer user, experts say it's important to keep private keys on a safe device.