Recovery of Lost Bitcoin Wallets Using Vulnerabilities in the noble-secp256k1 Library: Concept and Methods of BitcoinQuasar Software
Ensuring the security of private keys is a fundamental task in the Bitcoin ecosystem and other cryptocurrencies. The noble-secp256k1 library, implementing the elliptic curve secp256k1 algorithm in JavaScript, is widely used for wallet creation and transaction generation. However, its functional flexibility and operation in resource-constrained environments have been accompanied by a number of vulnerabilities identified between 2019 and 2022. These shortcomings laid the foundation for BitcoinQuasar — software designed for automated cryptanalysis-based recovery of access to lost wallets.
Overview of noble-secp256k1 Vulnerabilities
Several classes of vulnerabilities have been discovered in the noble-secp256k1 library:
- Insufficient entropy in private key generation: Random number generators used for private keys provided a low level of randomness, enabling prediction of keys based on generation patterns.
- Errors in ECDSA signature verification: Improper validation of signature parameters allowed the creation of invalid signatures that were nevertheless accepted, opening avenues for cryptanalysis and signature forgery.
- Problems with key recovery: Functions restoring keys from compressed or corrupted data lacked adequate parameter checks, enabling injection of malicious data.
- Side-channel vulnerabilities: Timing analysis and other side-channel methods led to leakage of key information.
- Low-level code errors: Stack overflows and memory boundary violations created potential for arbitrary code execution and denial-of-service attacks.
Cryptanalysis Mechanisms in BitcoinQuasar
BitcoinQuasar combines several cryptanalysis methods exploiting these identified vulnerabilities:
- Search space reduction through low entropy: The software analyzes key generation statistics, reducing the number of candidate keys to brute-force during private key recovery.
- Analysis and decoding of vulnerable ECDSA signatures: Signature verification flaws are used to extract parameters (R, S, Z) from transactions, which, combined with lattice-based methods (e.g., LLL algorithm), enable private key computation.
- Handling compressed and corrupted keys: BitcoinQuasar leverages the lack of parameter checks in noble-secp256k1’s recovery functions to retrieve keys even from partial or distorted data.
- Exploitation of side channels: Timing attack analysis supplements cryptanalysis, increasing recovery success probability.
- Automation of password guessing and matching with known addresses: The software automates phrase and password guessing using cryptanalysis algorithms to enhance private key discovery success.
POLYNONCE ATTACK Method as the Core of Cryptanalysis
BitcoinQuasar’s uniqueness is enhanced by incorporating POLYNONCE ATTACK — a mathematical approach based on representing Bitcoin signatures as polynomials of arbitrary degree (e.g., 128-bit). This method functionally utilizes transaction parameters to build a lattice model that allows:
- Detection of weak and repeated nonces used in signing;
- Significant reduction of the private key search space;
- Efficient recovery of keys even with incomplete information and implementation errors of ECDSA.
POLYNONCE ATTACK forms the algorithmic basis of BitcoinQuasar, dramatically increasing the probability of successful cryptanalytic recovery.
Practical Significance and Results
BitcoinQuasar demonstrates high efficiency on wallets created using vulnerable versions of noble-secp256k1. It enables:
- Recovery of lost funds due to forgotten seed phrases or passwords;
- Reconstruction of keys affected by software implementation errors;
- Improved security of the cryptocurrency ecosystem through vulnerability identification and fixes.
This software expands the toolkit for recovery beyond standard brute-force and cracking methods.
Future Development Prospects
Future BitcoinQuasar development includes:
- Integration with blockchain analytics platforms for more accurate cryptanalytic data correlation;
- Expanded support for cryptocurrencies based on algorithms similar to secp256k1;
- Optimization of computational processes using GPUs and parallel computing to speed up analysis;
- Implementation of machine learning methods for self-correction and new vulnerability detection.
BitcoinQuasar represents a vivid example of an innovative approach to recovering lost crypto assets through deep understanding of cryptographic architecture and vulnerabilities in noble-secp256k1. Using multi-level cryptanalysis and the unique POLYNONCE ATTACK, this tool highlights the critical importance of continuous cryptographic infrastructure auditing. Its adoption contributes to enhanced trust and resilience of cyber-financial systems.
CVE-2019-18037 Vulnerability Related to Invalid Bitcoin Address Generation
The CVE-2019-18037 vulnerability involves generating invalid Bitcoin addresses. The peculiarity of this vulnerability lies in the fact that due to software or library errors used for address creation (including private and public key generation), addresses may be formed that do not comply with standards or become inaccessible, resulting in loss of access to funds. Consequently, owners of such addresses lose the ability to manage and spend their bitcoins, leading to financial loss.
Relation of CVE-2019-18037 to BitcoinQuasar
BitcoinQuasar exploits disclosed vulnerabilities, including errors leading to generation of such invalid addresses and keys. The software uses cryptanalysis and brute-force methods, as well as flawed implementations in noble-secp256k1, to compute and recover private keys for these problematic addresses. Thus, BitcoinQuasar helps restore access to lost wallets, including those rendered invalid due to the described vulnerability.
A key feature of the recovery method related to CVE-2019-18037 is its focus on correcting and bypassing consequences of incorrect key and address generation, which is highly complex or impossible by conventional methods. BitcoinQuasar applies comprehensive analysis of generation errors, ECDSA signature checks, and key states to derive correct data for wallet control restoration.
How BitcoinQuasar Recovers Lost Bitcoin Wallets by Exploiting CVE-2019-18037
BitcoinQuasar addresses recovery by performing comprehensive cryptanalysis of wrongly generated or corrupted key and address data, leveraging CVE-2019-18037 and other noble-secp256k1 flaws.
Its main approaches include:
- Using insufficient entropy in private key generation to reduce search space, enabling fast and efficient discovery of keys created with generation errors;
- Cryptanalysis of ECDSA signature verification errors, allowing computation of private keys from vulnerable signatures, including attacks like POLYNONCE ATTACK;
- Bypassing key recovery function errors to process compressed or damaged keys which would otherwise be considered invalid and lead to fund loss;
- Analyzing side channels and timing attacks to gather additional private key information;
- Automating guessing and analysis via brute-force and matching against known public addresses.
BitcoinQuasar does not recover wallets by standard methods (e.g., seed phrase entry) but leverages fundamental vulnerabilities in cryptographic data generation, including those causing invalid addresses and loss of access. This enables regaining control over bitcoins seemingly lost due to bugs or incorrect key generation.
The link with CVE-2019-18037 is crucial, as this vulnerability involves Bitcoin address and private key generation errors, serving as a key entry point for BitcoinQuasar’s recovery techniques.
Types of Vulnerabilities Enabling BitcoinQuasar to Find Lost Bitcoin Wallets
BitcoinQuasar exploits several critical vulnerabilities in noble-secp256k1 related to the secp256k1 algorithm implementation. Key types include:
- Low entropy in private key generation allowing reduced private key search space for recovery via pattern-based brute force;
- ECDSA signature verification errors permitting signature forgery and analysis of invalid signatures to compute private keys;
- Weaknesses in key recovery functions due to insufficient parameter validation, facilitating processing of damaged or compressed keys;
- Side-channel attacks based on timing and other operational leaks exposing private key information;
- Low-level code flaws like stack overflow and memory violations potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or denial-of-service attacks.
By integrating these vulnerabilities, BitcoinQuasar forms a comprehensive cryptanalytic tool that recovers access to lost or inaccessible Bitcoin wallets created with vulnerable noble-secp256k1 versions.
