One of the main features of the technology Blockchain, and probably the most well-known is its fame of being inhackeable. However, although the chains of blocks are effectively impossible to manipulate. The story is different when it comes to the products created thanks to them. So, even a wallet, a cold can be hacked if we don’t take the necessary precautions.
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The inhackeabilidad of the Blockchain
One of the great confusion existing in the crypto world, is one that mixes the technology Blockchain that protects the cryptocurrencies, with the security of the same. Therefore, the existence of chains of blocks effectively ensures that the records of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, are not modified by any actor. However, this does not mean that it is impossible for a third party malicious can break our security and get to our cryptocurrencies. Especially if we do not have a sufficient level of safety in our wallets as to defend ourselves against these cyber attacks. And that is, if a person manages to decrypt our key access and log in to our wallet. There is no way to avoid that the same can send our cryptocurrencies to the address that they prefer. For this reason, there are different types of wallet that combine different levels of security. Being the type of wallet more secure market calls wallets cold. Which consist of devices that are not connected to the internet, usually some external memory such as a flash drive, but you can also be a simple QR code printed on a piece of paper. And that, not being in the network, could not be attacked by hackers of any kind. Reason why they are considered methods impenetrable to the receipt of criptoactivos.
A wallet, a cold hacked
However, and as evidenced by studies carried out by the business Ledger, a producer herself of various models of wallets. A wallet, a cold can be hacked if the right tools are used to exploit certain vulnerabilities. As discovered in KeepKey of Shapeshift and Coldcard Mk2 Coinkite. In the case of KeepKey, the researchers of Ledger took advantage of the variations in the voltages consumed by the memory chip of the wallet cold. Relating to each variation of the voltage of the chip with the information entered in the password of the wallet. So, with a little time and adequate technological resources, were able to break the security of this wallet cold. The wallet cold KeepKey was hacked by the team of Ledger. For their part, Coldcard Mk2 the story was more complicated. In this case, the goal of the team of Ledger was to break the protection of the wallet that limits the number of attempts to decrypt the password of the same. To do this they used a “attack injection failure”, turning off the limit of attempts to enter the password. From there, they just used a program of password guessing common to enter the wallet cold. Although the two companies are working on solving these flaws in their security. The same, are a reminder to the crypto community that even though we have a wallet cold. And the consider extremely safe to protect our assets. Our hardware must be careful not to fall into the hands of third parties. Which, with enough time and resources, surely hackearan our wallet and we dropped our money.