Brute force private key tool?

[foggyb]

There's really nothing but astronomical odds against it stopping another computer from doing it.

Those astronomical odds are the best protection achievable in this physical realm.

[og kush420]

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Advances in mathematics/computing will make these calculations feasible after decades at most.
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What calculations?  Brute force?  No, you are mistaken.  Brute force of 256 bit will not be feasible.

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen

[jackjack]

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Advances in mathematics/computing will make these calculations feasible after decades at most.
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What calculations?  Brute force?  No, you are mistaken.  Brute force of 256 bit will not be feasible.

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say travels into the past could not happen

[og kush420]

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Advances in mathematics/computing will make these calculations feasible after decades at most.
- snip -

What calculations?  Brute force?  No, you are mistaken.  Brute force of 256 bit will not be feasible.

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen

consider the largest number our ancestors had thought of only 500 years ago? 2000 years ago? maybe even a million, but a speck of nothing compared to the longest number we can computate today

[BurtW]

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen

You have made an assertion "with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen"

Now explain yourself, prove it, give a reference, something.  Otherwise it is just an opinion.

I made the assertion:

My post addresses the question posted by stating that since it will never be possible to even count from 1 to (about) 2²⁵⁶ by any physical means, let alone count and calculate Key_public = Key_public + G [and hash that result three times] it is obviously currently, and will always be, impossible to find a specific key pair by a brute force algorithm.

Which I can prove and has been proven many times in the past in dozens of other threads just like this one.

[clock27]

Is there a tool that is able to brute force the private key, given a full Bitcoin address? I know it's nearly impossible, but want to try just for fun.

That's the problem, people can't even imagine how unlikely it is to find the correct private key without knowing anything about it except the public key(no shortcuts in the algorithm etc.). It's safe to replace the word "unlikely" by "impossible" in this case without altering the sense.

Thinking about low probabilities:

Take your pen and let it fall of your desk. While falling the pen will convert its potential energy to kinetic energy. The air in your room will absorb some of that energy and the rest will be absorbed by your floor when the pen impacts. Now in theory it's possible that the molecules surrounding your pen while it lays on the ground are all moving up and therefore pushing the pen up. But considering the amount of molecules it's very very unlikely one would even say impossible to happen(actually it's so unlikely that the 2nd law of thermodynamics even forbids it). It's much more likely that some molecules from above push it down and some from underneath push it up, same goes for right and left -> it won't move.
Now what would you tell someone who asks to borrow your video camera to film the pen 24/7 to see when it will fly back on the desk because it's theoretically possible?

Don't try to brute force it. Just wait until some bird's shit on your car takes the form of the private key.

ha! dude thats a real awesome way of putting things lol id be buying that bird no doubt

[BurtW]

consider the largest number our ancestors had thought of only 500 years ago? 2000 years ago? maybe even a million, but a speck of nothing compared to the longest number we can computate today

Sorry, did not follow your point here.

[og kush420]

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen

You have made an assertion "with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen"

Now explain yourself, prove it, give a reference, something.  Otherwise it is just a opinion.

I made the assertion:

My post addresses the question posted by stating that since it will never be possible to even count from 1 to (about) 2²⁵⁶ by any physical means, let alone count and calculate Key_public = Key_public + G [and hash that result three times] it is obviously currently, and will always be, impossible to find a specific key pair by a brute force algorithm.

Which I can prove and has been proven many times in the past in dozens of other threads just like this one.

if you claim something is impossible when it is not against the laws of physics (and even if it is against those, it may be possible to go to other universe!) you are the one making the claim. i am saying anything that is within the law of physics can happen.

[og kush420]

whatever a private key is, i dont even know, a string of characters, yes or no, can it be written on paper? can i computer compute the characters? then it is possible unless you have a reason otherwise

[justusranvier]

The lesson of this thread is that it's pointless to talk math and physics to people who believe in magic.

[BurtW]

if you claim something is impossible when it is not against the laws of physics (and even if it is against those, it may be possible to go to other universe!) you are the one making the claim. i am saying anything that is within the law of physics can happen.

Excelllent!  Can we agree to stick to our universe for the time being?  Sticking to this universe I am saying exactly the same thing you are saying:

i am saying anything that is within the law of physics can happen.

Only it turns out that within the laws of physics (in this universe) it is not possible.

[BurtW]

whatever a private key is, i dont even know, a string of characters, yes or no, can it be written on paper? can i computer compute the characters? then it is possible unless you have a reason otherwise

What exactly are you claiming is possible here?  Be specific.

[og kush420]

if you claim something is impossible when it is not against the laws of physics (and even if it is against those, it may be possible to go to other universe!) you are the one making the claim. i am saying anything that is within the law of physics can happen.

Excelllent!  Can we agree to stick to our universe for the time being?  Sticking to this universe I am saying exactly the same thing you are saying:

i am saying anything that is within the law of physics can happen.

Only it turns out that withing the laws of physics (in this universe) it is not possible.

how so? the only reason given for this i have seen in this thread is the number is too big that we will ever be able to handle it. but that's not a law of physics. and that is completely irrelevant because we are not talking about being able to crack private keys at will, we are talking theoretical possibility to crack it once by complete (1)/(2/\256) luck
what force is preventing me from writing down all the characters of a private key completely randomly, and then entering it into my computer?

[og kush420]

whatever a private key is, i dont even know, a string of characters, yes or no, can it be written on paper? can i computer compute the characters? then it is possible unless you have a reason otherwise

What exactly are you claiming is possible here?  Be specific.

nothing, i am claiming nothing, to say that something is technically possible when it is not impossible is to claim nothing

i am saying it is not impossible to write down a string of characters into a computer and they happen to be the ones that are the private key. you are saying it is impossible, unless i misunderstand what a private key is itself. i will go look up that

[og kush420]

at what number does it become impossible? at 10/\80? at the number of subatomic particles? at the number of quantum states of all subatomic particles?

[jackjack]

ITT: people who don't know what brute-force means

[og kush420]

- snip -
Advances in mathematics/computing will make these calculations feasible after decades at most.
- snip -

What calculations?  Brute force?  No, you are mistaken.  Brute force of 256 bit will not be feasible.

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say it could not happen

with quantum computing in the distant future there is no reason to say travels into the past could not happen

time travel is potentially possible according to what we know... i dont get it

[BurtW]

I was going to write this up but it is easier to find it already written up and have you read it there and them come back here for further discussion:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=233503.msg2474798#msg2474798

Like I said this has all been discussed before, including trying to agree on a useful definition of the word "impossible" and "never"

[madmadmax]

What if someone used dictionary words in his private key and then generated the public key using that private key? It could become very probable

[BurtW]

What if someone used dictionary words in his private key and then generated the public key using that private key? It could become very probable

Very true!  In fact this very thing has happened many times:

1) Someone creates a "brain wallet" using a simple password.  A brain wallet is defined as Key_private = SHA256(password)
2) They send some BTC to their brain wallet
3) The BTC are instantly taken, never to be recovered!

What is happening is that someone, in fact multiple people, have done the following:

1) Get a huge dictionary of common passwords, millions of them
2) Create brain wallets for every one of these passwords
3) Set up a script that constantly searches new transactions for any transfers to any of these millions of bitcoin addresses
4) If any transfers happen to any of these millions of addresses then instantly "sweep" the funds to one of the thief's other addresses where they collect all the ill gotten booty.

So, the leason here is to only create and use brain wallets if you know exactly what you are doing.
If you do not know and fully understand the concept of password entropy then do not create and use a brain wallet.  Noobs should never use brain wallets.

That is all very interesting and very important to know and I am very glad you brought it up but my statement still stands as that is not a brute force attack on a randomly generated key pair, it is called a rainbow table attack on a brain wallet key pair.