Bitcoin Cash Backer Claims That Bitcoin Wallet Double-Spend Issue Is Still Not Fixed

TimeBit
2 min readJul 5, 2020

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On July 2, crypto security firm ZenGo recognized a twofold spend exploit focusing on a few well known Bitcoin (BTC) wallets, named ‘BigSpender’

Of nine digital currency wallets tried by ZenGo, BRD, Ledger Live, and Edge were found to have been powerless against the attack. The three companies refreshed their items after ZenGo advised them of the threat, anyway the firm cautioned that “millions” of crypto clients may have been presented to the endeavor preceding its identification.

Notwithstanding the wallets’ transition to secure against BigSpender, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) defender Hayden Otto claims the helplessness is inherent to Bitcoin “by design” can even now be exploited.

Bitcoin defenseless

BigSpender was found through ZenGo’s progressing examination into Bitcoin’s ‘Replace-by-Fee’ (RBF) feature.

As indicated by the security firm, “RBF is a standard method to allow users to ‘undo’ a yet to be confirmed transaction, by sending another transaction spending the same coins (but possibly different destination) with a higher fee”.

BigSpender isn’t the first run through an exploit has focused on RBF vulnerabilities to execute a twofold spend attack, with a comparative procedure being famously laid out in a video distributed by Otto in December that immediately became a web sensation. The exploit is only possible with zero confirmations.

The BCH advocate depicted the exploit as “an issue with BTC itself,” including that it has “nothing to do with the different wallet software”.

Wallets challenge seriousness of threat

Nonetheless, not every person is persuaded that BigSpender contains a grave danger to Bitcoin, with the influenced wallet suppliers testing the language employed by ZenGo’s researchers.

Addressing Forbes: Ledger asserted: “There is no actual double-spend being performed. The user funds stay safe. Nevertheless, the display of received transactions could be misleading.”

This is obviously, what Otto abused: getting merchants to hand over the merchandise before the assets were moved because of a “deceptive” display. Be that as it may, shippers who trust that exchanges will be affirmed before sending products don’t chance being influenced.

ZenGo has released a free open-source tool that permits wallet suppliers to test their items and secure against the BigSpender powerlessness. The firm noticed that not the entirety of the wallets influenced by the exploit have implemented upgrades.

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TimeBit
TimeBit

Written by TimeBit

https://timebit.sg/ is a Blockchain-based financial ecosystem including a cryptocurrency exchange platform, Cloud Services, PAMM Model Trading, Payment Gateway.

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