Exchange accidentally sent 512 bitcoins after coding error

[Salavator]

Ultimately, assuming that everything is as it seems, bendavis should give the coins back. I know that no authority is going to make him do that however if the case were to go into a British court (only because that is the only country that I have knowledge of) then it would be pretty clear that bendavis should give the money back, possibly with a small amount of compensation to bendavis from the exchange for having wasted his time with their mistake.

Seriously though, how could anyone honestly think that just because someone makes a mistake that it gives you the right to keep money, that you haven't done anything to receive, as a result.

[mizerydearia]

If Intersango didn't want to give BenDavis 511 bitcoins, they would write code that doesn't give it away so freely.

This code was thoroughly tested using testnet.
The issue was with the server configuration, the database user did not have the proper permissions and the code failed in an unexpected way.
I have now changed to relevant code such that any failure of any kind will stop the script cold.

[hightax]

If Intersango didn't want to give BenDavis 511 bitcoins, they would write code that doesn't give it away so freely.

This code was thoroughly tested using testnet.
The issue was with the server configuration, the database user did not have the proper permissions and the code failed in an unexpected way.
I have now changed to relevant code such that any failure of any kind will stop the script cold.

Apparently not thoroughly enough.  Test environments are supposed to MATCH the production environment.  But of course, secure coding doesn't apply to Bitcoins.

[Raoul Duke]

Apparently not thoroughly enough.  Test environments are supposed to MATCH the production environment.  But of course, secure coding doesn't apply to Bitcoins.

What does Bitcoin have to do with an exchange that is a completely different project?
You should word your trolls a little better or STFU.
Or in alternative tell me where in Bitcoin is that insecure coding... I suspect you will not find it, hell, even Dan Kaminsky admited that the coding is f'ugly but very secure and does what it's supposed to do(and I believe he really tried hard to find flaws in it).

[hightax]

Apparently not thoroughly enough.  Test environments are supposed to MATCH the production environment.  But of course, secure coding doesn't apply to Bitcoins.

What does Bitcoin have to do with an exchange that is a completely different project?
You should word your trolls a little better or STFU.
Or in alternative tell me where in Bitcoin is that insecure coding... I suspect you will not find it, hell, even Dan Kaminsky admited that the coding is f'ugly but very secure and does what it's supposed to do(and I believe he really tried hard to find flaws in it).

Way to miss the context, genius.  You're posting in a thread about how an exchange's developer wrote flawed code that gave away free bitcoins to people.  You're complaining about my post where I said that "if he didn't want to give the coins away, he shouldn't have programmed his exchange to give away free coins."  I don't give a fuck if the bitcoin protocol is flawless, it's clear as day that everyone else associated with bitcoins is flawed and prime for ridicule.

*edit* I have yet to see a real success story of a project that's associated with bitcoins.  The track record's pretty abysmal and filled with great examples of people who really shouldn't be handling any serious amount of money.

[Cosbycoin]

Glad I didn't know about bitcoin prior to the fiascos I am reading about.

[joeyjoe]

This is intersango isnt it?

Their site is full of flaws. i guess thats what they get with editing the live site

[Gabi]

People using a non reversable currency and then asking their bitcoins back->so much fail.

If you want chargebacks, go back to fiat monet 

[Gerken]

People using a non reversable currency and then asking their bitcoins back->so much fail.

If you want chargebacks, go back to fiat monet 

They did, that's why bitcoin is slowly declining to a footnote in the history books.   

[hmongotaku]

How do you fail on cut & paste addresses? lol.

[joeyjoe]

i found out a way i could of emptyed intersango's entire bitcoin balance, told them about it, and never even got a thanks! ill be keeping the 90btc i took though.

[payb.tc]

How do you fail on cut & paste addresses? lol.

that's easy in opera. double-click an address and it comes up with this stupid menu which somehow blocks the ctrl-c keyboard command. (potentially leaving a previously-copied address in the clipboard instead).

[mizerydearia]

i found out a way i could of emptyed intersango's entire bitcoin balance, told them about it, and never even got a thanks! ill be keeping the 90btc i took though.

This sounds like the most admirable thing to do especially considering Intersango is evil monopoly and deserves being taking advantage of at all opportunities to give back to community members it has stolen from, griefed and otherwise caused vast amounts of irreparable damage and stress.  I, for one, appreciate your taking advantage of this opportunity and look forward to your helping to overcome this evilly established organization by continuing to attack them and provide full disclosure of your results until they cease to exist and eventually disappear.  Good riddance!!</sarcasm>

[joeyjoe]

i found out a way i could of emptyed intersango's entire bitcoin balance, told them about it, and never even got a thanks! ill be keeping the 90btc i took though.

This sounds like the most admirable thing to do especially considering Intersango is evil monopoly and deserves being taking advantage of at all opportunities to give back to community members it has stolen from, griefed and otherwise caused vast amounts of irreparable damage and stress.  I, for one, appreciate your taking advantage of this opportunity and look forward to your helping to overcome this evilly established organization by continuing to attack them and provide full disclosure of your results until they cease to exist and eventually disappear.  Good riddance!!</sarcasm>

I told them about the flaw straight away the 90btc was apart of the demonstration to show them how i done it. the thing is he never removed it even though he remote desktoped to my machine when i done it.

[jimi8383]

damn...that sucks

[ranlo]

that is awesome.  i would not give them back.  that is his mistake.  welcome to the real world.  no mtv

Case closed. Fact proven. Lets see how many others say they would not return them.

I would return them, but that's just because it's how I am. I understand mistakes happen. We're humans.

I do agree that the code should have been fully tested before going live though. On that side I feel he brought this upon himself.

[Quicker_777]

hmm, tis a lot of bitcoins. I'd simply give them back as good faith. But some people are not like that, welcome to the real world.

wow this post is old and entertaining - 500 bitcoins now = 60,000

[icicle]

i found out a way i could of emptyed intersango's entire bitcoin balance, told them about it, and never even got a thanks! ill be keeping the 90btc i took though.

This sounds like the most admirable thing to do especially considering Intersango is evil monopoly and deserves being taking advantage of at all opportunities to give back to community members it has stolen from, griefed and otherwise caused vast amounts of irreparable damage and stress.  I, for one, appreciate your taking advantage of this opportunity and look forward to your helping to overcome this evilly established organization by continuing to attack them and provide full disclosure of your results until they cease to exist and eventually disappear.  Good riddance!!</sarcasm>

I told them about the flaw straight away the 90btc was apart of the demonstration to show them how i done it. the thing is he never removed it even though he remote desktoped to my machine when i done it.

He was collecting examples of vulnerabilities on Intersango, then deliberately not fixing them??

Interesting. Considering later events. And as you got to keep 90btc, it might be assumed you would never give evidence about it.

He remote desktopped to your machine with your permission, right? I mean using the 'remote assistance' thing rather than a hack?

I only ask about the remoting as the family PC here was badly damaged by some exploit about an hour after I told the CEO of Intersango, Amir Taaki, he would be reported to the UK authorities for theft if I didn't have my bitcoins by midnight that night.

When I say 'badly damaged' it looks like it will never talk to the internet again, and needs reformatting, and I haven't checked to see if any documents were destroyed because that isn't where I keep them.

It could just have been my eldest daughter or Granny. They are always downloading crap.

[joeyjoe]

I allowed him to use teamviewer to see what I were doing in order to get the coins. Thing is, I wish I took more now since the amount that guy scammed out of people.

What's wrong with the pc?

[icicle]

I allowed him to use teamviewer to see what I were doing in order to get the coins. Thing is, I wish I took more now since the amount that guy scammed out of people.

What's wrong with the pc?

Ha. Ain't hindsight a peach?

I was once attacked in the street by a serial killer/rapist. I let the little fucker live - in my defense, he was lying in a small pool of his own blood by the time my boyfriend showed up. But every once in a while, I think of one girl in particular. 'Sally', her name was. Dead. Because I didn't do enough. So I sort of know how you feel. I thought I had been bad enough, but I hadn't, and my conscience has a body count.

I didn't look at the PC in detail, as, if I spent my time sorting out that mess, I'd be doing little else - but from what I can see, the network drivers were destroyed and some highly suspicious looking fake security program has a new shortcut on the desktop.

I am supposed to think the fake anti-spyware caused the chaos. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. And if that machine thinks I'm feeding it new network drivers then it's Business as Usual, it can think again.