Why does blockchain.info let me import an invalid WIF private key?

DannyHamilton

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Quote from: canton on May 29, 2013, 09:44:22 AM

Quote from: DannyHamilton on May 28, 2013, 07:16:32 PM

WIF has a checksum, Base 58 does not.

Can anyone point me to the spec on this? I just keep finding Base58 specs that *do* include 4 byte checksums e.g.

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Base58Check_encoding

That is Base58Check encoding. That is Wallet Import Format (WIF).

Base 58 itself (not base58check) is just a numbering system with a radix of 58 (like binary has a radix of 2, octal a radix of 8, hexadecimal a radix of 16, decimal a radix of 10, etc.)

Quote from: canton on May 29, 2013, 09:44:22 AM

Are there such things as Base58 checkless keys?

Yes. When it is not in WIF, a private key is just a very big number. Any number between 0x1 and 0xFFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFE BAAE DCE6 AF48 A03B BFD2 5E8C D036 4141 is a valid private key. Using base 58 simply allows you to represent that number with fewer digits (making it easier to type/write).

canton

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Quote from: DannyHamilton on May 28, 2013, 07:16:32 PM

WIF has a checksum, Base 58 does not.

Can anyone point me to the spec on this? I just keep finding Base58 specs that *do* include 4 byte checksums e.g.

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Base58Check_encoding

Are there such things as Base58 checkless keys?

DannyHamilton

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Activity: 3472

Merit: 4801

Quote from: canton on May 28, 2013, 02:36:45 PM

Quote from: piuk on April 24, 2013, 02:54:56 PM

It's a bug with the pk format detection. The Key is no longer a valid WIF key however it is still a valid base 58 key so the key is imported as base 58 instead.

But if I was randomly futzing around with the digits, shouldn't this fail as a valid base 58 of any kind, since the checksums won't add up?

WIF has a checksum, Base 58 does not.

canton

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Quote from: piuk on April 24, 2013, 02:54:56 PM

It's a bug with the pk format detection. The Key is no longer a valid WIF key however it is still a valid base 58 key so the key is imported as base 58 instead.

But if I was randomly futzing around with the digits, shouldn't this fail as a valid base 58 of any kind, since the checksums won't add up?

piuk

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It's a bug with the pk format detection. The Key is no longer a valid WIF key however it is still a valid base 58 key so the key is imported as base 58 instead.

canton

sr. member

Activity: 261

Merit: 285

Because here's the thing, if I click to import a private wallet, and then type in a valid wallet import key, but then intentionally mess up five or six of the characters, blockchain.info still reassures me that it imported the wallet.

Isn't there supposed to be a WIF wallet import format checksum or something that would alert you if you'd made a typo?

Topic: Why does blockchain.info let me import an invalid WIF private key? (Read 4470 times)