Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Pools => Topic started by: Vorksholk on July 06, 2012, 01:59:27 PM



Title: Question About People Cheating Pools
Post by: Vorksholk on July 06, 2012, 01:59:27 PM
Hello. I know none of the current softwares support this (and that's good), but what stops a person (aside from integrity and will to see pool mining work) from checking each hash they submit to see if it is the solution to the actual block, and if it is holding it for themselves, solving the block, then continue submitting shares that aren't the solution, effectively giving them all their hashing power at a pool, and then also giving them all the rewards they would receive from solo-mining. This would seem especially deadly to PPS pools...



Title: Re: Question About People Cheating Pools
Post by: rjk on July 06, 2012, 02:59:43 PM
Hello. I know none of the current softwares support this (and that's good), but what stops a person (aside from integrity and will to see pool mining work) from checking each hash they submit to see if it is the solution to the actual block, and if it is holding it for themselves, solving the block, then continue submitting shares that aren't the solution, effectively giving them all their hashing power at a pool, and then also giving them all the rewards they would receive from solo-mining. This would seem especially deadly to PPS pools...


It's very possible, but there is no reward to the person that is doing it. They can't claim the block as their own, so they would only do it if they intended to be malicious to the pool.


Title: Re: Question About People Cheating Pools
Post by: Vorksholk on July 06, 2012, 04:15:02 PM
Hello. I know none of the current softwares support this (and that's good), but what stops a person (aside from integrity and will to see pool mining work) from checking each hash they submit to see if it is the solution to the actual block, and if it is holding it for themselves, solving the block, then continue submitting shares that aren't the solution, effectively giving them all their hashing power at a pool, and then also giving them all the rewards they would receive from solo-mining. This would seem especially deadly to PPS pools...


It's very possible, but there is no reward to the person that is doing it. They can't claim the block as their own, so they would only do it if they intended to be malicious to the pool.

Oh alright, good to know. So even though they have the "winning hash" they wouldn't be able to create a block with it?


Title: Re: Question About People Cheating Pools
Post by: Aseras on July 06, 2012, 04:30:29 PM
The blocks have a checksum built in as part of the hash if they alter the block the hash is changed since the checksum will be off and it won't be a valid share anymore.

Most pool run an alternate blockchain that build towards a valid block. Each share difficulty is different from the a actual bitcoin chain, you can't submit the shares directly.

The most you could do is flood the server with invalid shares or withhold a winning block.


Title: Re: Question About People Cheating Pools
Post by: Vorksholk on July 06, 2012, 04:36:49 PM
The blocks have a checksum built in as part of the hash if they alter the block the hash is changed since the checksum will be off and it won't be a valid share anymore.

Most pool run an alternate blockchain that build towards a valid block. Each share difficulty is different from the a actual bitcoin chain, you can't submit the shares directly.

The most you could do is flood the server with invalid shares or withhold a winning block.

Ahh, thanks for clearing that up.