Bitaddress.org still safe in 2025?

[Leahhhh]

I was about to use Bitaddress.org again tonight but read where somebody said 2 of the addresses it had generated for them had the same private key so obviously there was a major problem to put it mildly! I am not good with technology and the simplicity of bitaddress really appeals, combined with the fact that I have used it many times before but it worries me that it might not be 100% reliable even if I generate the keys offline on an air-gapped device (which is the way I have always done it). Has anyone had any problems with it recently? (I know I asked about the Electrum wallet in a separate post but truthfully this is the one I am most comfortable with and would love to stick with it).

[Free Market Capitalist]

Why do you want to generate an address there? Are you generating a paper wallet? If so, you should be very careful and I would recommend you to watch Andreas' video.

Otherwise, any wallet you download will create the address without these problems, even a mobile wallet. Let's see if you give more details and meanwhile I will report this thread to be moved to the technical section.

[Despairo]

Probably you read an old case/accusation? I haven't read any accusation against paper wallet anymore.

They have an ANN thread in this forum, there's no complain on the thread [ANN] bitaddress.org Safe JavaScript Bitcoin address/private key

Here's the tips if you want to run safely bitaddress on an air gapped device https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/274683/safe-usage-of-bitaddress-org

[ABCbits]

Probably you read an old case/accusation? I haven't read any accusation against paper wallet anymore.

I also think that. While it's not about same address generated by 2 people, older version of Bitaddress.org had several security issue (such as using math.random[1] or impacted by randstorm vulnerability[2]).

[1] https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org/issues/35
[2] https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org/issues/291

[dzungmobile]

I was about to use Bitaddress.org again tonight but read where somebody said 2 of the addresses it had generated for them had the same private key so obviously there was a major problem to put it mildly! I am not good with technology

You don't need to be technical experts or good with technology to use a Bitcoin wallet software.

If you are able to use Internet, desktop computer, laptop, smart phone, I am sure you can install and use a good Bitcoin wallet software.
Now what is a good Bitcoin wallet software?
Two things:
- Non custodial: so you own mnemonic seed or private key.
- Open source: the software is reproducible from its source code.

You can use Electrum wallet on computer or mobile device, it's light as it is a SPV wallet and does not require too big disk space.
[GUIDE] How to Safely Download and Verify Electrum.
The paranoid user's security guide for using Electrum safely.

Other recommended wallets
https://learnmeabitcoin.com/beginners/wallets/

[Leahhhh]

I was about to use Bitaddress.org again tonight but read where somebody said 2 of the addresses it had generated for them had the same private key so obviously there was a major problem to put it mildly! I am not good with technology

You don't need to be technical experts or good with technology to use a Bitcoin wallet software.

If you are able to use Internet, desktop computer, laptop, smart phone, I am sure you can install and use a good Bitcoin wallet software.
Now what is a good Bitcoin wallet software?
Two things:
- Non custodial: so you own mnemonic seed or private key.
- Open source: the software is reproducible from its source code.

You can use Electrum wallet on computer or mobile device, it's light as it is a SPV wallet and does not require too big disk space.
[GUIDE] How to Safely Download and Verify Electrum.
The paranoid user's security guide for using Electrum safely.

Other recommended wallets
https://learnmeabitcoin.com/beginners/wallets/

I will get round to answering everybody but for now, as regards Electrum, IF I opted for it, to guarantee safety wouldn't t be best (just like with bitaddress) to do it on a computer which never has been used for the internet before and which never will be connected to it again in the future?

[dzungmobile]

I will get round to answering everybody but for now, as regards Electrum, IF I opted for it, to guarantee safety wouldn't t be best (just like with bitaddress) to do it on a computer which never has been used for the internet before and which never will be connected to it again in the future?

Electrum wallet is open source, you can download it, install it and create your wallet offline. If possible, as recommended it, verify it before using.

Use strong password to protect your wallet access.
Use multi signature wallet like 2/3 cosigners if you want more security and also afford to pay more transaction fee.

If you can have an airgap device for your wallet, it is good and it is what you asked.
[GUIDE] How to Create a Strong/Secure Password

[Leahhhh]

As regards bitaddress I read this in a thread mentioned above 'the zip version in github is :v3.3.0 remove support for IE8'....I don't even know what this means but the version showing now is 3.3.0.......will I have any problems?

[ABCbits]

As regards bitaddress I read this in a thread mentioned above 'the zip version in github is :v3.3.0 remove support for IE8'....I don't even know what this means but the version showing now is 3.3.0.......will I have any problems?

IE8 refers to browser called "Internet Explorer" major version 8, which available for Windows XP to Windows 7. Meanwhile v3.3.0 refers to version of the bitaddress. So you will not face problem if you don't use that browser.

[Leahhhh]

As regards bitaddress I read this in a thread mentioned above 'the zip version in github is :v3.3.0 remove support for IE8'....I don't even know what this means but the version showing now is 3.3.0.......will I have any problems?

IE8 refers to browser called "Internet Explorer" major version 8, which available for Windows XP to Windows 7. Meanwhile v3.3.0 refers to version of the bitaddress. So you will not face problem if you don't use that browser.

I didn't have any problems and hope the addresses made are OK. I have another question, I have a Chromebook which was only ever connected to the internet once (actually I tried to install Electrum on it but was unable to as it doesn't have Windows). That's the only time it was ever online. If I downloaded bitaddress to it and then went offline (forever!), would it be safe to make more addresses on it? Thanks.

[Leahhhh]

Probably you read an old case/accusation? I haven't read any accusation against paper wallet anymore.

They have an ANN thread in this forum, there's no complain on the thread [ANN] bitaddress.org Safe JavaScript Bitcoin address/private key

Here's the tips if you want to run safely bitaddress on an air gapped device https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/274683/safe-usage-of-bitaddress-org

So I went ahead and made some addresses with bitaddress. I did so on an Amazon Fire tablet that was never connected to the internet before and never will be again. However, since then I have been wondering if they are accurate - it did not allow me to generate them by moving the mouse around to use the green dots (I didn't want to do that anyway). I made them by entering a very long string of numbers and letters in the BrainWallet box.....not that they are a brain wallet - I will never remember the numbers/figures, but that is the way I have made all my addresses over the past 11 yrs & it has worked for me. So my question is.... is the Silk browser that Amazon Fire uses OK for this purpose? (just wondering because I know somebody mentioned IE8 not being suitable. Thanks.

[nc50lc]

So my question is.... is the Silk browser that Amazon Fire uses OK for this purpose? (just wondering because I know somebody mentioned IE8 not being suitable.

That "IE8" was from 2011 to 2009, as long as your Silk Browser is updated with a newer Javascript support, it'll work (and it did).
For the record, if the browser or device isn't supported by bitaddress like Window7's Internet Explorer 8, the tool will not be able to create a paper wallet entirely.

Amazon Fire was a bit of a waste though since you can't now use it online.
You could've dedicated an offline machine without an internal drive, then use an "amnesiac" OS that's installed on a flash drive like 'TailsOS' to launch bitaddress offline.
You can destroy that Flash Drive later if you want since it's cheap, although everything you did while it was active was on your RAM (will not linger after a few seconds once depowered)

I made them by entering a very long string of numbers and letters in the BrainWallet box.....not that they are a brain wallet - I will never remember the numbers/figures, but that is the way I have made all my addresses over the past 11 yrs & it has worked for me.

Yeah, that was only for additional entropy for "seedTime" and the majority of the entropy is still generated with its SecureRandom function.

[ABCbits]

I have another question, I have a Chromebook which was only ever connected to the internet once (actually I tried to install Electrum on it but was unable to as it doesn't have Windows). That's the only time it was ever online. If I downloaded bitaddress to it and then went offline (forever!), would it be safe to make more addresses on it? Thanks.

IMO it's safe enough. BTW, you can run Linux application on Chromebook. So you could Electrum AppImage file and then run it on your ChromeBook, assuming your chromebook doesn't use ARM chip.

So my question is.... is the Silk browser that Amazon Fire uses OK for this purpose? (just wondering because I know somebody mentioned IE8 not being suitable. Thanks.

From quick google search, Silk browser is based on Chromium, where Google Chrome is also based on Chromium. So theoretically there shouldn't be any problem.

[Leahhhh]

I have another question, I have a Chromebook which was only ever connected to the internet once (actually I tried to install Electrum on it but was unable to as it doesn't have Windows). That's the only time it was ever online. If I downloaded bitaddress to it and then went offline (forever!), would it be safe to make more addresses on it? Thanks.

IMO it's safe enough. BTW, you can run Linux application on Chromebook. So you could Electrum AppImage file and then run it on your ChromeBook, assuming your chromebook doesn't use ARM chip.

So my question is.... is the Silk browser that Amazon Fire uses OK for this purpose? (just wondering because I know somebody mentioned IE8 not being suitable. Thanks.

From quick google search, Silk browser is based on Chromium, where Google Chrome is also based on Chromium. So theoretically there shouldn't be any problem.

Thank you. I presume that even if there was a virus or something on the Chromebook from the one and only time it was used, it wouldn't be able to steal my private keys if I go offline to create them and am never online again on that device?

So my question is.... is the Silk browser that Amazon Fire uses OK for this purpose? (just wondering because I know somebody mentioned IE8 not being suitable.

That "IE8" was from 2011 to 2009, as long as your Silk Browser is updated with a newer Javascript support, it'll work (and it did).
For the record, if the browser or device isn't supported by bitaddress like Window7's Internet Explorer 8, the tool will not be able to create a paper wallet entirely.

Amazon Fire was a bit of a waste though since you can't now use it online.
You could've dedicated an offline machine without an internal drive, then use an "amnesiac" OS that's installed on a flash drive like 'TailsOS' to launch bitaddress offline.
You can destroy that Flash Drive later if you want since it's cheap, although everything you did while it was active was on your RAM (will not linger after a few seconds once depowered)

I made them by entering a very long string of numbers and letters in the BrainWallet box.....not that they are a brain wallet - I will never remember the numbers/figures, but that is the way I have made all my addresses over the past 11 yrs & it has worked for me.

Yeah, that was only for additional entropy for "seedTime" and the majority of the entropy is still generated with its SecureRandom function.

Thank you. TailsOS, etc is not something I am familiar with.

[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

[ABCbits]

--snip--

Thank you. I presume that even if there was a virus or something on the Chromebook from the one and only time it was used, it wouldn't be able to steal my private keys if I go offline to create them and am never online again on that device?

It depends. It'll only stop virus which works by sending private key or other data to certain server using internet. You're still vulnerable to clipboard virus, which replace Bitcoin address when you perform copy and paste.

[Leahhhh]

--snip--

Thank you. I presume that even if there was a virus or something on the Chromebook from the one and only time it was used, it wouldn't be able to steal my private keys if I go offline to create them and am never online again on that device?

It depends. It'll only stop virus which works by sending private key or other data to certain server using internet. You're still vulnerable to clipboard virus, which replace Bitcoin address when you perform copy and paste.

I hope writing everything down with a pen and paper would solve that problem?

[pooya87]

I hope writing everything down with a pen and paper would solve that problem?

If you want to be able to write things down without making a mistake then it is very difficult to do with with a WIF private key that is a long random alphanumerical characters. It is a lot easier to write down words, which you can do if you use a deterministic wallet like Electrum that generates a mnemonic (12 words) that are easier to write down. That way you have the benefit of also being able to generate more than one address from those words which comes in handy in the future when you want to spend your coins (avoids address reuse).

[Leahhhh]

I hope writing everything down with a pen and paper would solve that problem?

If you want to be able to write things down without making a mistake then it is very difficult to do with with a WIF private key that is a long random alphanumerical characters. It is a lot easier to write down words, which you can do if you use a deterministic wallet like Electrum that generates a mnemonic (12 words) that are easier to write down. That way you have the benefit of also being able to generate more than one address from those words which comes in handy in the future when you want to spend your coins (avoids address reuse).

thank you

[100steeze]

As far as I know, they have been secured. Although one should always note and verify the authenticity of the website before proceeding. Always ensure you are on the right site. Cause I see some complains and that could be the cause too. Meanwhile, but address to my best of knowledge has been a secured site to create an address for this sole reason. I came to understand and confirmed that "not your private keys nor your wallet informations are transmitted, transferred or stored on their servers". This reduces the risk of losses or site is being compromised.
Yet it's very necessary to tread with extra caution.

[BenCodie]

If you are worried about the online version, I'd recommend downloading the source and getting it going in local environment. If you want to be even safer, make sure that local environment isn't your daily driver. Next step is to ensure that your means of storage is secure. Stay safe.