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This point to an actual use of the cryptocurrency - exploiting a 0 day against someone who might have a crypto wallet means you can actually directly make money

This point to an actual use of the cryptocurrency - exploiting a 0 day against someone who might have a crypto wallet means you can actually directly make money off exploits. Prior to crypto, having a 0 day wasn't equal with ability to make blackhat money with it...

vageli 7y ago
> This point to an actual use of the cryptocurrency - exploiting a 0 day against someone who might have a crypto wallet means you can actually directly make money off exploits. Prior to crypto, having a 0 day wasn't equal with ability to make blackhat money with it... Why would that be the case when it is not illegal to sell exploits?
- rocqua 7y ago
  Selling exploits requires credibility, escrow, and deep contacts. Selling bitcoin is a lot easier.
  - vageli 7y ago
    Ah so you mean leveraging the exploit for financial gain by using it (ransomware) versus selling. That makes a ton of sense!
mnbvkhgvmj 7y ago
Banking malware has existed for a while.
- fsh 7y ago
  Banking has insurance against fraud and transactions are generally reversible.
  - mnbvkhgvmj 7y ago
    > transactions are generally reversible Not really. If your account is compromised you may indeed get your money back from the bank's insurance (although in some countries that is less likely than others). However, the criminal behind the malware will probably have got at least some of the money. International transfers are not generally reversible. Cash withdrawals are not reversible. Even electronic transfers to another bank in the same country (maybe this varies by country) are only reversible if the money has not been withdrawn. And then there have been cases of actual bank systems being compromised so that criminals can just increase the balance of accounts directly.. And cashpoints (atms) being compromised.
    - ufmace 7y ago
      At the very least, it's a lot harder for criminals to cash out of compromised bank accounts in a way that doesn't lead law enforcement directly to them.

vageli 7y ago

> This point to an actual use of the cryptocurrency - exploiting a 0 day against someone who might have a crypto wallet means you can actually directly make money off exploits. Prior to crypto, having a 0 day wasn't equal with ability to make blackhat money with it... Why would that be the case when it is not illegal to sell exploits?

rocqua 7y ago
Selling exploits requires credibility, escrow, and deep contacts. Selling bitcoin is a lot easier.
- vageli 7y ago
  Ah so you mean leveraging the exploit for financial gain by using it (ransomware) versus selling. That makes a ton of sense!

mnbvkhgvmj 7y ago

Banking malware has existed for a while.

fsh 7y ago
Banking has insurance against fraud and transactions are generally reversible.
- mnbvkhgvmj 7y ago
  > transactions are generally reversible Not really. If your account is compromised you may indeed get your money back from the bank's insurance (although in some countries that is less likely than others). However, the criminal behind the malware will probably have got at least some of the money. International transfers are not generally reversible. Cash withdrawals are not reversible. Even electronic transfers to another bank in the same country (maybe this varies by country) are only reversible if the money has not been withdrawn. And then there have been cases of actual bank systems being compromised so that criminals can just increase the balance of accounts directly.. And cashpoints (atms) being compromised.
  - ufmace 7y ago
    At the very least, it's a lot harder for criminals to cash out of compromised bank accounts in a way that doesn't lead law enforcement directly to them.