3 ms·

If it was not hacked then I believe the implication is that the key was cracked. Presumably, via brute force capability of unknown nature or a weakness in Bitc

If it was not hacked then I believe the implication is that the key was cracked. Presumably, via brute force capability of unknown nature or a weakness in Bitcoin not known at this time.

ccczzz 5y ago
as far as I know the chances of doing this are far less possible than sending your 'tradicional forces' to get the private key..
tome 5y ago
> If it was not hacked then I believe the implication is that the key was cracked. Is anyone here willing to say they believe the key was cracked? Seems extremely implausible to me.
- bredren 5y ago
  I’m open to alternatives, though I have felt that the response to this involved the highest level cyber warfare capabilities of the United States. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27156073 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27156073 I would not be surprised to find out the US has this capability.
  - tome 5y ago
    I would be surprised if they would reveal themselves as having it for $2.3 million.
    - bredren 5y ago
      See my comment here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27437342 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27437342
- paulpauper 5y ago
  It can be cracked if the keypair generator process is faulty. Some wallets have been known to be vulnerable due to poor rng implementation
- lamontcg 5y ago
  Always easier to socially engineer in one way or another than to crack keys.
bdcravens 5y ago
More likely typical law enforcement methods than technical: they seized equipment with key, accessed an account where the key was transmitted (like email or a phone), wire-tapped an insecure channel, or strong-armed a defendant into revealing it. ie, a $5 wrench
Shacklz 5y ago
I think this is more a case of "What actually happend": https://xkcd.com/538/ https://xkcd.com/538/
dehrmann 5y ago
As others have pointed out in another post, you don't reveal that you've broken an important cryptographic algorithm over $2M.
- bredren 5y ago
  This was not about $2M. It was a response to what was publicly interpreted as a nation-state cyber attack on infrastructure. This was about principle and demonstration of capability. If it is true the US has the ability to calculate BTC wallet keys as fast as it did, the price should fall.
  - dehrmann 5y ago
    > This was about principle and demonstration of capability. Still not worth it if a crpyto function has been broken. If it was because of the encrypted chat app honeypot they ran, it might be different, but even then, only if criminals are moving to something else. They also don't have the perpetrator.
    - bredren 5y ago
      I disagree. If the US has the ability to quickly break a BTC wallet, it is a public demonstration of warfare that should act as a deterrent in other theaters of war. > They also don't have the perpetrator. I don’t think we have a full manifest of who was involved in the colonial attack or the personnel that have made up Darkside. Even if we did, successful pressure on the perpetrators or their successors does not require holding the individuals directly.

If it was not hacked then I believe the implication is that the key was cracked. Presumably, via brute force capability of unknown nature or a weakness in Bitcoin not known at this time.

ccczzz 5y ago

as far as I know the chances of doing this are far less possible than sending your 'tradicional forces' to get the private key..

tome 5y ago

> If it was not hacked then I believe the implication is that the key was cracked. Is anyone here willing to say they believe the key was cracked? Seems extremely implausible to me.

bredren 5y ago
I’m open to alternatives, though I have felt that the response to this involved the highest level cyber warfare capabilities of the United States. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27156073 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27156073 I would not be surprised to find out the US has this capability.
- tome 5y ago
  I would be surprised if they would reveal themselves as having it for $2.3 million.
  - bredren 5y ago
    See my comment here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27437342 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27437342
paulpauper 5y ago
It can be cracked if the keypair generator process is faulty. Some wallets have been known to be vulnerable due to poor rng implementation
lamontcg 5y ago
Always easier to socially engineer in one way or another than to crack keys.

bdcravens 5y ago

More likely typical law enforcement methods than technical: they seized equipment with key, accessed an account where the key was transmitted (like email or a phone), wire-tapped an insecure channel, or strong-armed a defendant into revealing it. ie, a $5 wrench

Shacklz 5y ago

I think this is more a case of "What actually happend": https://xkcd.com/538/ https://xkcd.com/538/

dehrmann 5y ago

As others have pointed out in another post, you don't reveal that you've broken an important cryptographic algorithm over $2M.

bredren 5y ago
This was not about $2M. It was a response to what was publicly interpreted as a nation-state cyber attack on infrastructure. This was about principle and demonstration of capability. If it is true the US has the ability to calculate BTC wallet keys as fast as it did, the price should fall.
- dehrmann 5y ago
  > This was about principle and demonstration of capability. Still not worth it if a crpyto function has been broken. If it was because of the encrypted chat app honeypot they ran, it might be different, but even then, only if criminals are moving to something else. They also don't have the perpetrator.
  - bredren 5y ago
    I disagree. If the US has the ability to quickly break a BTC wallet, it is a public demonstration of warfare that should act as a deterrent in other theaters of war. > They also don't have the perpetrator. I don’t think we have a full manifest of who was involved in the colonial attack or the personnel that have made up Darkside. Even if we did, successful pressure on the perpetrators or their successors does not require holding the individuals directly.