bitaddress.org - bug generating private keys?

[taturii]

Hi,

I've visited bitaddress.org to generate a paper wallet, but all the private adddresses generated start with '5H', '5J' or '5K'. Anyone knows if this is a bug of the RNG, javascript, browser... or whatever?

[1714832116]

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[1714832116]

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[1714832116]

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[1714832116]

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[DannyHamilton]

Hi,

I've visited bitaddress.org to generate a paper wallet, but all the private adddresses generated start with '5H', '5J' or '5K'. Anyone knows if this is a bug of the RNG, javascript, browser... or whatever?

This is not a bug.

When converting a private key from a 256 bit binary number to Wallet Import Format, a byte with the value of 128 is added to the front of the number as a version number.

Then a 4 byte checksum is added to the end of the number.

The version number combined with the following byte result in a base58check value between 5H and 5K.  As such, the wallet import format bitcoin private for an uncompressed public key will always start with '5H', '5J', or '5K'.

[taturii]

Thanks for your response. I didn't know that the private key was formatted like a Bitcoin address (version byte plus checksum bytes at the end). Is it possible to import a raw private key (i.e. a 256 bit random number) or is mandatory to format the key in that way?

[grue]

Thanks for your response. I didn't know that the private key was formatted like a Bitcoin address (version byte plus checksum bytes at the end). Is it possible to import a raw private key (i.e. a 256 bit random number) or is mandatory to format the key in that way?

There are tools that can convert between hexadecimal and base58 (wallet import format). The one I can remember right now is sx.

[cp1]

Thanks for your response. I didn't know that the private key was formatted like a Bitcoin address (version byte plus checksum bytes at the end). Is it possible to import a raw private key (i.e. a 256 bit random number) or is mandatory to format the key in that way?

Unless your wallet has some import raw key mode, you'll have to format in the wallet import format:  https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Wallet_import_format

[Abdussamad]

Thanks for your response. I didn't know that the private key was formatted like a Bitcoin address (version byte plus checksum bytes at the end). Is it possible to import a raw private key (i.e. a 256 bit random number) or is mandatory to format the key in that way?

Most clients expect WIF but it's not hard to get it in WIF format. Just use the wallet details tab on bitaddress.org. Paste your hex key in there and it'll give you all sorts of formats. Probably best to do this on an offline system or via a live cd where you load bitaddress.org and then disconnect from the net.