THELOGICALINDIAN - Following the AsicBoost altercation Bitmain has now responded to the accusations of accepting agilely programmed a backdoor into the firmware of assorted Antminer models
In what is actuality alleged “Antbleed,” this backdoor could shut bottomward 70% of the all-around Bitcoin network, which could put the world’s aboriginal decentralized cryptocurrency at abundant risk.
“Bitmain has put themselves in a position area they can annihilate the majority of Bitcoin hashing ability instantly,” Core developer Peter Todd commented on the news.
Meanwhile, the exposé website, Antbleed, describes the backdoor as so:
Bitmain responded to the allegations in a blog post. The aggregation explained why this backdoor exists in the aboriginal abode and apologized for the “misunderstanding.”
Bitmain:
The affair affects several Antminer models (S9, R4, T9, L3, L3 ) allowing the aggregation to shut bottomward miners at will and additionally link them to the chump sales and commitment records, advertisement the character of anniversary miner.
While Bitmain accepted the backdoor, the mining behemothic says it’s simply “bug,” an advised affection that was never accomplished and was larboard in the firmware. According to Bitmain, this backdoor was meant to be acclimated by the artefact owners in case of theft.
“We charge to analyze the ambition of accepting this feature,” they wrote. “We planned to add this affection to the cipher to empower barter to ascendancy their miners which generally times can be hosted alfresco their premises.”
Although the acumen provided by Bitmain makes faculty to a assertive extent, the catechism of why barter weren’t warned about this feature/bug/backdoor arises.
It is additionally cryptic why it would be larboard in the firmware in the aboriginal place, accustomed that Antminer has accepted that this kill-switch caused “a base akin of security.”
It is alike added analytical back it appears that Bitmain could accept anchored this affair with ease, which agency anyone who blanket the miners could aloof as calmly abuse a book to about-face off this “anti-theft” feature.
“Moving on, we accept appear the new adapted source-code on GitHub and new firmware on our website which removes this bug,” Bitmain wrote.
The company also goes a continued way to assort the backdoor as a bug. “It is a bug to leave the cipher there afore the affection is absolutely complete and accustomed to the users.”
However, Wikipedia defines a software bug as “an error, flaw, abortion or accountability in a computer affairs or arrangement that causes it to aftermath an incorrect or abrupt result, or to behave in adventitious ways.”
Bitcoin Core developers such as Luke Dashjr took to Twitter to comment on the latest Bitmain-related scandal, noting the acumen amid the Antbleed backdoor and a bug.
“That’s not a fix, it’s a workaround. It’s additionally not a bug, but advised malware,” he said.
Core developer Peter Todd alleged the aggregation “incompetent” tweeting:
Slush Pool architect Marek Palatinus slammed Bitmain, adage the purpose of the backdoor is clear: “to shut bottomward miner on alien flag.”
Meanwhile, Andreas Antonopoulos said that he doesn’t see the backdoor as a advisedly awful act by the aggregation though “intent doesn’t amount if anyone can use it.”
Is Antbleed simply a misunderstanding or an advised backdoor?Let us apperceive what you think below!
Images address of Shutterstock, Twitter
