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Title: Idea: special alert type to say that the alert system has been compromised Post by: theymos on September 04, 2011, 05:45:23 AM Currently, if an attacker gets the alert key or otherwise compromises the alert system (by breaking SHA-256, for example), he can prevent all alerts from being displayed by sending an alert with Cancel=INT_MAX.
It might be a good idea to define a special alert (maybe one with a signature but no body) that would never expire under any circumstances and would display a generic pre-written message telling the user to upgrade and not accept transactions. Title: Re: Idea: special alert type to say that the alert system has been compromised Post by: matsh on September 04, 2011, 03:33:04 PM I'm intrigued by this alert system. Could you point out in the code where this is? I browser the whole code base a week ago, and couldn't find anything.
Title: Re: Idea: special alert type to say that the alert system has been compromised Post by: theymos on September 04, 2011, 05:57:12 PM I'm intrigued by this alert system. Could you point out in the code where this is? I browser the whole code base a week ago, and couldn't find anything. Search the code for "CAlert". Title: Re: Idea: special alert type to say that the alert system has been compromised Post by: willphase on September 04, 2011, 07:47:52 PM :tongue in cheek:
had to be the first to ask it - but what happens if the alert alert system is compromised? :) Do we need an alert alert alert system? Will Title: Re: Idea: special alert type to say that the alert system has been compromised Post by: theymos on September 04, 2011, 08:43:20 PM :tongue in cheek: had to be the first to ask it - but what happens if the alert alert system is compromised? :) Do we need an alert alert alert system? Will It would be fixed in the next version. There just needs to be a non-revocable message to tell people that they need to upgrade. Title: Re: Idea: special alert type to say that the alert system has been compromised Post by: matsh on September 04, 2011, 09:40:31 PM I must say this is one of the wildest things I've ever read about Bitcoin! Could someone give a short description as to how this machinery would work? Inserting a special transaction in a block, with a message signed with a special key only owned by someone (Satoshi, I assume)?
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