BTCrecover seed recovery with custom token list

[Prof-Meowington]

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out how to do two different scenarios with a token list for a 12 word seed phrase recovery. I've been reading the docs and some threads on this forum, but for some reason I can't get it to work.

1. The first thing is that I want to want to use a list with 12 words, but the first two words and positions are known. I thought my list file should look like this:

Code:

+ ^1^word1
+ ^2^word2
word3
word4
word5
word6
word7
word8
word9
word10
word11
word12

Just to try if it is working at all and to save some time, I created a new empty wallet, added the 12 words to my token list file and added + ^num^ for each of the first 10 words (according to the pattern above), assuming it would finish in a few seconds, but it just keeps saying "Seed not found, sorry...". What am I doing wrong? I am sure the words and positions are correct. Does it not work with empty wallets?

python seedrecover.py --no-dupchecks --mnemonic-length 12 --language EN --dsw --wallet-type ethereum --addr-limit 1 --addrs 0xMyAddress --tokenlist ./docs/Usage_Examples/2020-05-02_Descrambling_a_12_word_seed/randomcombination_bip39.txt --bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0"

2. The second scenario is to add additional words to my list that I *think* could be words 3 and 4, but I am not sure if they really are part of the seed phrase at all, can that be done?

[1715313965]

1715313965

[1715313965]

1715313965

[nc50lc]

1. The token file and command look good.
Try to remove the additional parameter: --bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0" since it should be able to work without it (but slower).
If it works, then you've given an incorrect path.
If it didn't.. can you tell which options have you been choosing when prompted for the seed type?

2. In that case, put those in the same lines of words 3 and 4, seedrecover.py will try those words but wont mix them with the words in the same line:

Code:

...
word3 word3a word3b
word4 word4a word4b word4c
...

[PawGo]

1. The first thing is that I want to want to use a list with 12 words, but the first two words and positions are known.

python seedrecover.py --no-dupchecks --mnemonic-length 12 --language EN --dsw --wallet-type ethereum --addr-limit 1 --addrs 0xMyAddress --tokenlist ./docs/Usage_Examples/2020-05-02_Descrambling_a_12_word_seed/randomcombination_bip39.txt --bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0"

Of course you replaced part "./docs/Usage_...." with path to your token list?

Are you able to reproduce example from page: https://btcrecover.readthedocs.io/en/latest/Usage_Examples/2020-05-02_Descrambling_a_12_word_seed/Example_Descrambling_a_12_word_seed/#ethereum-address-default-derivation-path-for-trezor-mew ?

By the way: if you enter your seed on the page: https://iancoleman.io/bip39/ and select coin ETHEREUM, does it display your expected address?

[Prof-Meowington]

Thanks for the replies, seems there was something wrong with my BTCRecover package, after unzipping the downloaded package once more, the Descramble example worked.

Try to remove the additional parameter: --bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0" since it should be able to work without it (but slower).

Is there some way to see the derivation path of an ETH wallet? I'm worried I might miss the seed phrase because of a too low addr-limit and/or wrong bip32-path, but at the same time changing/removing these arguments can make a big difference to how long it takes to run the script.
I just know the address is a Metamask wallet connected to a Ledger...

[PawGo]

Ian Coleman’s page says you should use m/44'/60'/0'/0 for bip32/ledger.
If you have your metamask and wallet, you may play with another seed and his page to see which path produces the correct results.
As for number of addresses to generate- no idea, but usually the first one is used. Maybe in your case it was different, but then you would know it, no?

[Prof-Meowington]

Yes, I found the same information when googling, like you wrote, Metamask derivation path is m’/44’/60’/0/0, and Ledger is m’/44’/60’. They are quite similar, but the last zeroes are missing, but maybe that's not important.

Actually come to think of it, Ledgers come with a 24 word seed phrase, and since the one I'm looking for has 12, so most likely the derivation Metamask derivation path should work?

What happens if I remove the argument --bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0, will it find all derivation paths or does it just look for some default one?

[nc50lc]

-snip-
What happens if I remove the argument --bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0, will it find all derivation paths or does it just look for some default one?

It will look from all the common derivation paths listed in "/derivationpath-lists/ETH.txt".
Your command and token file are good, so if it's not the path, then there's definitely something that went wrong.

Thanks for the replies, seems there was something wrong with my BTCRecover package, after unzipping the downloaded package once more, the Descramble example worked.

Good to know that it works now. But I doubt it's because of "unzipping" issue.

[PawGo]

Yes, I found the same information when googling, like you wrote, Metamask derivation path is m’/44’/60’/0/0, and Ledger is m’/44’/60’. They are quite similar, but the last zeroes are missing, but maybe that's not important.

It is. For example:

Code:

walk gate various upon patient only athlete focus tiny decade advice party

produces:
BIP44 - m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 - 0x71d2b3e574B13C99dC725467b31F296b5C3c6Fe4
BIP32/Ledger - m/44'/60'/0'/0 - 0x25Cd4b8eB16e5d926Ec19675c364bCe7e1E90f8f

I think you did not use hardened addresses, but there is still a chance.

m/44'/60'/0'/0/0' - 0xB4d14680ddfC11944250e3aD59268B44ba49A08c
m/44'/60'/0'/0' - 0x9EB955c03A8FF3032262D58548F0B44e5a77D1Ba

Are you able to reuse the seed and see which address you see?

[Prof-Meowington]

Yes, sorry, I didn't mean the unzipping itself was the problem, but there was something not quite right with my folder.

I didn't use hardened addresses, and I'm pretty sure it was the second account in Metamask, created in Metamask.

That would mean this argument is ok, right?
--bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0"

But if the wallet was not created in Metamask, but rather a Ledger was added to Metamask, then I would need to use the other derivation path?

So I guess my safest bet is just to use the ETH file with both of those derivation paths?

Are you able to reuse the seed and see which address you see?

Reuse which seed where?

[PawGo]

Are you able to reuse the seed and see which address you see?

Reuse which seed where?

If you know exactly how you configured metamask (in the past), generate a new seed, do the same configuration in metamask, see which address you receive and then find the proper path on Coleman’s page.

[nc50lc]

That would mean this argument is ok, right?
--bip32-path "m/44'/60'/0'/0"

Since you've said that the "descramble example" worked which is using a command with that arg.
Then it's okay because it wont look for the "common derivation path" if bip39-path arg is specified.