Bitcoin Forum

Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: CBit on April 05, 2013, 08:33:14 PM



Title: A question about Armory
Post by: CBit on April 05, 2013, 08:33:14 PM
Hey!

Can't post in other sections yet so I'll ask here, hopefully someone in the know spots this Q on Armory.

In this (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=147373.0) thread it is said that the offline machine should have a clean install of the OS. Why is that? Yep, that's the whole question :)

Thanks!


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: AgeraS on April 05, 2013, 08:48:50 PM
OS = operating system


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: gweedo on April 05, 2013, 08:50:18 PM
Hey!

Can't post in other sections yet so I'll ask here, hopefully someone in the know spots this Q on Armory.

In this (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=147373.0) thread it is said that the offline machine should have a clean install of the OS. Why is that? Yep, that's the whole question :)

Thanks!

Cause then you know for certain it has no virus or malware, since it has never touched the internet and can't steal your bitcoins.


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: CBit on April 06, 2013, 12:18:44 AM
Heh yeh I know what's OS, gweedo got me right :P

Cause then you know for certain it has no virus or malware, since it has never touched the internet and can't steal your bitcoins.

But since the offline machine will never go online, what harm can a virus do? It can't send my bitcoins to anyone since the computer is not connected to internet.

Is it because viruses in general, viruses that can fuck up your computer in general? I realize that any sort of a virus poses a threat to a computer, connected to internet or not. But if a computer will never again go online, can a virus pose a threat to the bitcoins? A virus can fuck up a computer but if you have backuped your wallet, are your coins in danger?


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: sandan79 on April 06, 2013, 01:04:25 AM
It can corrupt your data, backups... maybe sign some transaction you didn't made yourself and there goes your BTCs


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: Smt923 on April 06, 2013, 01:06:05 AM
Heh yeh I know what's OS, gweedo got me right :P

Cause then you know for certain it has no virus or malware, since it has never touched the internet and can't steal your bitcoins.

But since the offline machine will never go online, what harm can a virus do? It can't send my bitcoins to anyone since the computer is not connected to internet.

Is it because viruses in general, viruses that can fuck up your computer in general? I realize that any sort of a virus poses a threat to a computer, connected to internet or not. But if a computer will never again go online, can a virus pose a threat to the bitcoins? A virus can fuck up a computer but if you have backuped your wallet, are your coins in danger?

Many known and unknown viruses can spread over networks and USB sticks too, and more than likely any other method of transferring data from A to B


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: bitaccumulation on April 06, 2013, 01:19:23 AM


Cause then you know for certain it has no virus or malware, since it has never touched the internet and can't steal your bitcoins.
[/quote]

How would it be able to steal your Bitcoins if the computer never went online?


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: gweedo on April 06, 2013, 01:31:01 AM

Quote from: gweedo
Cause then you know for certain it has no virus or malware, since it has never touched the internet and can't steal your bitcoins.

How would it be able to steal your Bitcoins if the computer never went online?

They could just delete your wallet, or save your wallet, delete it and then that would force you to connect online to get recover it using the deterministic wallet.


Title: Re: A question about Armory
Post by: CBit on April 06, 2013, 11:34:52 AM
Many known and unknown viruses can spread over networks and USB sticks too, and more than likely any other method of transferring data from A to B

That works the other way around too, and apparently Armory creators/users don't consider it a big problems since they use USB to communicate between the offline and online computers.

They could just delete your wallet, or save your wallet, delete it and then that would force you to connect online to get recover it using the deterministic wallet.

If one has a paper backup then there's no such risk is there? If the offline wallet gets compromised, then format the HD, do a clean install and recover coins with backup.

It can corrupt your data, backups... maybe sign some transaction you didn't made yourself and there goes your BTCs

This signing sounds like a real threat. Can this really happen?