In a fascinating turn of events, two cybersecurity researchers recently assisted an anonymous crypto user in recovering a staggering 43.6 bitcoins (BTC) that he had lost access to 11 years ago. The user, known only as Michael, had set up a wallet in 2013 using a password generated by RoboForm. However, due to a corrupted encrypted file, he found himself locked out of his wallet, which contained coins worth around $5,300 at the time.
Upon reaching out to researcher Joe Grand in 2022, Michael initially faced rejection. However, in June 2023, he persevered and managed to capture Grand’s attention. Together with his friend Bruno, Grand embarked on the intricate task of reversing the password generation process to regain access to the lost bitcoins.
Through diligent investigation, Grand and Bruno uncovered a vulnerability in RoboForm’s random number generator, linking each password to the specific date and time it was created on a user’s device. Despite the bug being patched in 2015, they hypothesized that passwords created before this date could still be susceptible. By pinpointing the date when Michael moved the bitcoins into his wallet (April 13, 2013), they established a timeline for their password recovery efforts.
After numerous iterations and testing of hundreds of passwords, the researchers finally cracked the code and gained entry into the wallet on May 15, 2013. Michael, grateful for their assistance, shared a portion of the recovered bitcoins with Grand and Bruno when BTC was valued at $38,000. As the price surged to $62,000, he decided to sell some coins for himself, retaining a sizable portion of 30 BTC, now valued at approximately $2 million.
With a newfound fortune in his possession, Michael plans to hold onto his remaining bitcoins until they reach the coveted $100,000 mark. This remarkable story serves as a testament to the perseverance, ingenuity, and collaboration that can lead to the recovery of lost crypto assets, even after more than a decade of dormancy.
Leave a Reply