PrivKeyScanner: A Cryptanalytic Tool for Recovering Lost Bitcoin Wallets Based on Vulnerabilities in the bitcoin-php/bitwasp Library
The PrivKeyScanner software is designed to recover lost or forgotten Bitcoin wallets. The tool is based on the cryptanalysis of vulnerabilities found in the widely used bitcoin-php/bitwasp library, which is employed in PHP projects related to Bitcoin. This article provides a detailed analysis of the critical vulnerabilities discovered in the BIP32 key generation algorithms and the ECDSA digital signature scheme, as well as errors in transaction processing and network interactions exploited by PrivKeyScanner. It also presents an overview of the cryptanalytic methods applied, the software architecture, and user security recommendations.
Loss of private keys, seed phrases, or damage to wallet.dat files poses significant obstacles leading to irreversible loss of crypto assets. This work focuses on PrivKeyScanner—an innovative software tool that uses cryptanalytic approaches based on a thorough analysis of vulnerabilities in the bitcoin-php/bitwasp library, widely used in many PHP Bitcoin-related projects.
- Overview of the bitcoin-php/bitwasp Library and Identified Vulnerabilities
2.1 Purpose and Distribution of the Library
The bitcoin-php/bitwasp library provides tools for implementing cryptographic operations, transactions, and key management in the Bitcoin ecosystem using PHP. Due to its convenience and functionality, it has seen widespread adoption in web projects, wallets, and exchange platforms.
2.2 Critical Vulnerabilities
In recent years, security researchers have discovered several serious vulnerabilities that significantly reduce the protection of private keys and transactions:
- 2020 Vulnerability — Fault in the Deterministic BIP32 Key Generation Algorithm: Certain implementation flaws allowed the derivation of private keys from public data, violating a fundamental principle of cryptocurrency key security.
- 2022 Vulnerability — Flaws in the ECDSA Digital Signature Algorithm: Improper implementation of transaction signing enabled extraction of private keys from signed data, threatening the security of large accounts.
- Systemic Security Issues: Lack or insufficiency of double-spend transaction verification, absence of SSL/TLS certificate validation during network interactions, CSRF vulnerabilities, and errors in fee calculation—all of which create additional attack vectors and risk compromising assets.
- Architecture and Operational Methods of PrivKeyScanner
3.1 Cryptanalytic Approaches
PrivKeyScanner exploits identified vulnerabilities to conduct cryptanalytic attacks aimed at recovering lost private keys and passwords.
- Exploitation of BIP32 Generation Defects: By analyzing public keys and vulnerable generation parameters, the tool computes the corresponding private keys.
- Analysis of ECDSA Transaction Signatures: Using reverse analysis methods, private keys are extracted from signed operations.
- Attacks on Network Interactions: Weaknesses in SSL/TLS validation, CSRF vulnerabilities, and transaction processing errors are exploited to identify and leverage security gaps.
3.2 Technical Implementation
PrivKeyScanner implements high-performance cryptanalytic algorithms with multi-threading and CPU/GPU computations to accelerate finding valid keys. It combines cryptographic algorithm flaws with network traffic data for a comprehensive recovery approach.
- Practical Application and Results
PrivKeyScanner offers unique recovery capabilities in cases where traditional methods (seed phrase recovery, wallet.dat restoration, password input) are unavailable or ineffective. The tool can assist:
- When private keys are lost or forgotten;
- When wallet data is corrupted or damaged;
- When wallet environments are compromised due to implementation vulnerabilities.
Using PrivKeyScanner can restore access to substantial assets, minimizing user losses and ensuring continued operation of their cryptocurrency applications.
- Security Recommendations
The use of PrivKeyScanner underscores the importance of timely software updating and comprehensive protection measures. It is recommended to:
- Avoid using outdated or vulnerable versions of bitcoin-php/bitwasp;
- Regularly update dependencies and security patches;
- Employ multi-factor authentication and hardware wallets;
- Monitor network connections and apply measures against man-in-the-middle attacks;
- Utilize professional services and specialized tools for access recovery.
PrivKeyScanner represents an innovative software solution that expands recovery options for lost Bitcoin wallets by applying cryptanalytic methods based on discovered vulnerabilities in the bitcoin-php/bitwasp library’s technical implementation. The development highlights the necessity of rigorous security audits for open-source libraries and demonstrates the prospects for cryptanalysis in protecting and recovering digital assets. Amid the constantly increasing value and widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies, the emergence of solutions like PrivKeyScanner marks a vital step toward building a secure digital economy of the new generation.
The core feature of attacks using invalid points on elliptic curves, known as Invalid Curve Attacks, lies in the absence or insufficiency of verification of whether input points belong to the correct (main) elliptic curve in ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) implementations.
Under normal elliptic curve operations, all points used for multiplication and signing must belong to a predefined and secure curve (e.g., secp256k1 in Bitcoin). However, if verification is missing or improperly executed, an attacker can supply an “invalid” point that does not belong to the main curve but instead to a weaker auxiliary curve or lies outside the curve entirely. Using such points allows cryptanalysis to extract private key information due to calculation errors or data leaks occurring when processing these invalid points.
Specifically, this attack exploits that intermediate calculations in scalar multiplication algorithms may be performed using incorrect points if curve membership checks are omitted. Invalid points can be chosen to reveal parts of secret data in the results, leading to private key compromise.
Relation to PrivKeyScanner:
PrivKeyScanner leverages vulnerabilities including improper handling of elliptic curve points in the bitcoin-php/bitwasp library, where correct point validation during key generation and transaction signing is missing or insufficient. This enables PrivKeyScanner to exploit Invalid Curve Attacks for cryptanalytic recovery of lost private keys. The tool analyzes transactions and keys, gaining the ability to compute private keys from signatures or keys generated with invalid or improperly verified points.
Hence, the vulnerability caused by lack of proper point validation opens an additional attack vector on Bitcoin wallets, effectively used in PrivKeyScanner for lost key recovery.
In brief: Invalid Curve Attacks exploit errors in verifying point membership to the curve, permitting the use of fake or invalid points to obtain secret keys. PrivKeyScanner utilizes this vulnerability in bitcoin-php/bitwasp for cryptanalytic recovery of Bitcoin wallet private keys.
PrivKeyScanner addresses the task of recovering lost Bitcoin wallets by identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities related to insufficient elliptic curve point verification in the bitcoin-php/bitwasp library. The Invalid Curve Attack specifically allows the tool to work with invalid points not belonging to the main secp256k1 curve used in Bitcoin. Thanks to this vulnerability, PrivKeyScanner performs cryptanalytic analysis of signatures and keys, computing private keys from public data and signatures impossible to obtain in a correct implementation.
Applying this vulnerability, PrivKeyScanner recovers private keys in cases of:
- Lost seed phrases when conventional recovery is unavailable;
- Damage or corruption of wallet.dat files containing keys;
- Forgotten passwords restricting wallet access.
The tool implements multithreaded algorithms using CPU and GPU computational resources for rapid key testing and traversal, leveraging detailed knowledge of flaws in BIP32 and ECDSA algorithms and network vulnerabilities such as missing SSL/TLS checks and CSRF risks.
PrivKeyScanner does not merely brute-force keys but purposefully exploits identified cryptographic and software faults to reduce search space and increase recovery success probability. This approach enables regaining control over Bitcoin wallets that traditional methods cannot recover.
PrivKeyScanner finds lost Bitcoin wallets by exploiting the following types of vulnerabilities:
- The 2020 vulnerability in the deterministic BIP32 key generation algorithm allowing private keys to be derived from public data;
- The 2022 vulnerability in the ECDSA digital signature implementation enabling extraction of private keys from signed transactions;
- Insufficient verification of point membership to the correct elliptic curve (invalid curve attacks), allowing work with invalid points and exposure of private keys;
- Errors in double-spend transaction verification, exploitable for fraudulent activity;
- Missing or improper SSL/TLS certificate validation enabling man-in-the-middle attacks during network interactions;
- CSRF vulnerabilities in web interfaces allowing unauthorized transactions;
- Fee calculation errors causing transaction rejection or misprocessing.
By utilizing these vulnerabilities, PrivKeyScanner applies cryptanalytic methods and computational resources (CPU/GPU, multithreading) to recover private keys and passwords, restoring access to Bitcoin wallets in complex cases of seed phrase loss, wallet.dat corruption, or forgotten passwords.
PrivKeyScanner combines deep technical analysis of shortcomings in the bitcoin-php/bitwasp library implementation with powerful computational and cryptanalytic algorithms for effective recovery of locked user assets.
