Difference between revisions of "July 2015 flood attack"

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The '''July 2015 [[flood attack]]''' is an ongoing "stress test" of the Bitcoin network. The possibly distributed attack has provoked hundreds of thousands of [[transaction]]s, leaving over 80,000 in the [[mempool]] at one time.<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3ck5z9|title=80,000 Unconfirmed Transactions right now|date=8 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite btct|id=1113292|title=28 000 unconfirmed TXs|date=7 July 2015|post=11823370}}</ref>
 
The '''July 2015 [[flood attack]]''' is an ongoing "stress test" of the Bitcoin network. The possibly distributed attack has provoked hundreds of thousands of [[transaction]]s, leaving over 80,000 in the [[mempool]] at one time.<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3ck5z9|title=80,000 Unconfirmed Transactions right now|date=8 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite btct|id=1113292|title=28 000 unconfirmed TXs|date=7 July 2015|post=11823370}}</ref>
  
−
Some single-word [[brainwallet]]s ("password", "cat"<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3cgft7/largest_transaction_ever_mined_999657_kb_consumes/csvbnv4}}</ref>, etc.) have been the recipients of thousands of transactions, leaving 0.00001 BTC outputs. [[F2Pool]] has been concatenating these outputs in huge 1MB transactions.<ref>{{cite tx|bb41a757f405890fb0f5856228e23b715702d714d59bf2b1feb70d8b2b4e3e08}}</ref><ref>{{cite tx|5d8875ed1707cfee2221741b3144e575aec4e0d6412eeffe1e0fa07335f61311}}</ref><ref>{{cite btct|id=1112943|title=New achivement. The biggest tx|date=7 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015}}</ref> These transactions fill up an entire block on their own, and are far too large to be relayed by nodes; they have only been confirmed because F2Pool dedicated blocks to them.<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3cgft7/largest_transaction_ever_mined_999657_kb_consumes/csvasnz}}</ref><ref name="mb">{{cite web|last=Pearson|first=Jordan|date=9 July 2015|url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-mystery-behind-the-biggest-bitcoin-transaction-ever-made?utm_source=mbtwitter|title=The Mystery Behind the Biggest Bitcoin Transaction Ever Made|accessdate=9 July 2015|journal=Motherboard|publisher=Vice Media LLC}}</ref> Some nodes report having spent over 20 seconds on one of these transactions,<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3cgft7/largest_transaction_ever_mined_999657_kb_consumes/csva1ei}}</ref> leaving sites including [[Blockchain.info]] and [[TradeBlock]] temporarily impaired.<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3ckhcj|title=Blockchain.info is 10 blocks behind the network|date=8 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite btct|id=1112943|title=New achivement. The biggest tx|date=7 July 2015|post=11823487}}</ref>
+
Some single-word [[brainwallet]]s ("password", "cat"<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3cgft7/largest_transaction_ever_mined_999657_kb_consumes/csvbnv4}}</ref>, etc.) have been the recipients of thousands of transactions, leaving 0.00001 BTC outputs. [[F2Pool]] has been concatenating these outputs in huge 1MB transactions.<ref>{{cite tx|bb41a757f405890fb0f5856228e23b715702d714d59bf2b1feb70d8b2b4e3e08}}</ref><ref>{{cite tx|5d8875ed1707cfee2221741b3144e575aec4e0d6412eeffe1e0fa07335f61311}}</ref><ref>{{cite btct|id=1112943|title=New achivement. The biggest tx|date=7 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015}}</ref> These transactions fill up an entire block on their own, and are far too large to be relayed by nodes; they have only been confirmed because F2Pool dedicated blocks to them.<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3cgft7/largest_transaction_ever_mined_999657_kb_consumes/csvasnz}}</ref><ref name="mb">{{cite web|last=Pearson|first=Jordan|date=9 July 2015|url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-mystery-behind-the-biggest-bitcoin-transaction-ever-made|title=The Mystery Behind the Biggest Bitcoin Transaction Ever Made|accessdate=9 July 2015|journal=Motherboard|publisher=Vice Media LLC}}</ref> Some nodes report having spent over 20 seconds on one of these transactions,<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3cgft7|title=Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block.|date=7 July 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3cgft7/largest_transaction_ever_mined_999657_kb_consumes/csva1ei}}</ref> leaving sites including [[Blockchain.info]] and [[TradeBlock]] temporarily impaired.<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3ckhcj|title=Blockchain.info is 10 blocks behind the network|date=8 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite btct|id=1112943|title=New achivement. The biggest tx|date=7 July 2015|post=11823487}}</ref>
  
 
==Motivation==
 
==Motivation==
−
The attackers may have an agenda related to the [[blocksize debate]], attempting to demonstrate the infeasibility of 1MB blocks including transactions of hundreds of thousands of users.<ref name="mb"/>
+
The attackers may have an agenda related to the [[blocksize debate]], attempting to demonstrate the infeasibility of 1MB blocks including transactions of hundreds of thousands of users.<ref name="mb"/> Specifically, the Chinese [[mining pool]]s ([[AntPool]], [[BW Mining]], [[F2Pool]], [[BTC China]], & [[Huobi]]) have expressed distaste towards [[Gavin Andresen]]'s proposals to increase the blocksize limit, citing concerns of relatively low bandwidth compared to that available in the United States and Europe.<ref name="mb"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Pearson|first=Jordan|date=16 June 2015|url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/chinas-powerful-bitcoin-miners-say-their-bandwidth-sucks|title=China's Powerful Bitcoin Miners Say Their Bandwidth Sucks|accessdate=9 July 2015|journal=Motherboard|publisher=Vice Media LLC}}</ref> The flood attack may be attempting to discredit the pools, and subsequently force them off the network after the raised blocksize limit is in effect.<ref name="mb"/><ref>{{cite btct|id=1089283|title=Hearn's Worst Case Scenario: Checkpoints in XT to "ignore the longest chain"|date=13 June 2015}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
It is unlikely that the attack is being used in an attempt to damage or shut down Bitcoin, as it appears to be controlled and benevolent.<ref name="mb"/><ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3ci9av|title=Could the recent attack on bitcoin be the product of a core developer?|date=8 July 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3ci9av/could_the_recent_attack_on_bitcoin_be_the_product/csvtpxk}}</ref>
  
 
==Suspects==
 
==Suspects==

Revision as of 21:43, 9 July 2015

Information This page documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

The July 2015 flood attack is an ongoing "stress test" of the Bitcoin network. The possibly distributed attack has provoked hundreds of thousands of transactions, leaving over 80,000 in the mempool at one time.[1][2]

Some single-word brainwallets ("password", "cat"[3], etc.) have been the recipients of thousands of transactions, leaving 0.00001 BTC outputs. F2Pool has been concatenating these outputs in huge 1MB transactions.[4][5][6][7] These transactions fill up an entire block on their own, and are far too large to be relayed by nodes; they have only been confirmed because F2Pool dedicated blocks to them.[8][9] Some nodes report having spent over 20 seconds on one of these transactions,[10] leaving sites including Blockchain.info and TradeBlock temporarily impaired.[11][12]

Motivation

The attackers may have an agenda related to the blocksize debate, attempting to demonstrate the infeasibility of 1MB blocks including transactions of hundreds of thousands of users.[9] Specifically, the Chinese mining pools (AntPool, BW Mining, F2Pool, BTC China, & Huobi) have expressed distaste towards Gavin Andresen's proposals to increase the blocksize limit, citing concerns of relatively low bandwidth compared to that available in the United States and Europe.[9][13] The flood attack may be attempting to discredit the pools, and subsequently force them off the network after the raised blocksize limit is in effect.[9][14]

It is unlikely that the attack is being used in an attempt to damage or shut down Bitcoin, as it appears to be controlled and benevolent.[9][15]

Suspects

Coinwallet.eu, who had executed the previous stress tests, may have something to do with this attack as one of the bitcoin addresses has been used in both efforts.[9] However, Coinwallet.eu did not announce involvement in this attack, as they had in the stress tests.[9][16]

Peter Todd had previously offered to execute a stress test for $7,000[17] but he denies involvement in this attack.[18]

Satoshi Nakamoto has been (perhaps jokingly) labelled a suspect,[9][19] as he had mentioned that the block size should be increased when it is needed[20] and may be campaigning for this change without revealing his involvement.

References

  1. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3ck5z9. 80,000 Unconfirmed Transactions right now 8 July 2015. Self post.
  2. ↑ BitcoinTalk thread 1113292. 28 000 unconfirmed TXs 7 July 2015. Post 11823370.
  3. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3cgft7. Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block. 7 July 2015. This post
  4. ↑ Transaction bb41a757f405890fb0f5856228e23b715702d714d59bf2b1feb70d8b2b4e3e08.
  5. ↑ Transaction 5d8875ed1707cfee2221741b3144e575aec4e0d6412eeffe1e0fa07335f61311.
  6. ↑ BitcoinTalk thread 1112943. New achivement. The biggest tx 7 July 2015.
  7. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3cgft7. Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block. 7 July 2015. Self post.
  8. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3cgft7. Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block. 7 July 2015. This post
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Pearson, Jordan (9 July 2015). "The Mystery Behind the Biggest Bitcoin Transaction Ever Made". Vice Media LLC. http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-mystery-behind-the-biggest-bitcoin-transaction-ever-made. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  10. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3cgft7. Largest transaction ever mined, 999.657 KB. Consumes an entire block. 7 July 2015. This post
  11. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3ckhcj. Blockchain.info is 10 blocks behind the network 8 July 2015. Self post.
  12. ↑ BitcoinTalk thread 1112943. New achivement. The biggest tx 7 July 2015. Post 11823487.
  13. ↑ Pearson, Jordan (16 June 2015). "China's Powerful Bitcoin Miners Say Their Bandwidth Sucks". Vice Media LLC. http://motherboard.vice.com/read/chinas-powerful-bitcoin-miners-say-their-bandwidth-sucks. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  14. ↑ BitcoinTalk thread 1089283. Hearn's Worst Case Scenario: Checkpoints in XT to "ignore the longest chain" 13 June 2015.
  15. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3ci9av. Could the recent attack on bitcoin be the product of a core developer? 8 July 2015. This post
  16. ↑ BitcoinTalk thread 1094865. Ultimate Bitcoin Stress Test - Monday June 22nd - 13:00 GMT 20 June 2015.
  17. ↑ /r/Buttcoin thread 3bk12f. Why doesnt buttcoin start its own "stress test"? 29 June 2015. This post
  18. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3ci9av. Could the recent attack on bitcoin be the product of a core developer? 8 July 2015. This post
  19. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3ci9av. Could the recent attack on bitcoin be the product of a core developer? 8 July 2015. This post
  20. ↑ BitcoinTalk thread 1347. (PATCH) increase block size limit 3 October 2010. Post 15139.
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