Sequentia co-founder crashed 69% of DOGE nodes by exploiting fatal flaw

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As a seasoned analyst with over two decades of experience in the tech and finance industries, I find Andreas Kohl’s actions intriguing yet questionable. While his technical prowess is undeniable, as demonstrated by his role in the creation of Sequentia, the timing and intent behind crashing 69% of the Dogecoin network raise valid concerns.

Andreas Kohl, one of the founders of the Bitcoin sidechain Sequentia, admitted to taking advantage of a significant flaw known as “DogeReaper,” which he discovered, causing approximately 69% of the Dogecoin network to fail.

On December 12th, it was reported by the Department of DOGE Efficiency, represented by their @EfficiencyDOGE X account, that approximately 69% of Dogecoin (DOGE) network’s nodes were compromised by a hacker.

Information from the private blockchain search engine Blockchair indicated that Dogecoin boasted 647 active nodes prior to the hack. However, once the vulnerability was uncovered and shared by @EfficiencyDOGE, only 205 active nodes remained. At present, there has been a slight recovery with 373 active nodes in operation.

Andreas Kohl, one of the co-founders of the Bitcoin sidechain Sequentia, asserted accountability for the Dogecoin network disruption. He stated that he successfully executed this action from a computer stationed in El Salvador.

According to a post from @EffeciencyDOGE, which Kohl referenced, it is noted that on this day, approximately 69% of the Dogecoin network experienced an outage triggered by a single ThinkPad computer located in rural El Salvador.

It is documented that, on this particular day, approximately 69% of the Dogecoin network suffered an outage allegedly triggered by a solitary ThinkPad computer located in rural El Salvador.

— Andreas Kohl (@aejkohl) December 12, 2024

In another message, Kohl acknowledged Tobias Ruck, the individual who identified a weakness in the Dogecoin system that ultimately led to node failures. This issue is known as “DogeReaper,” a powerful tool capable of bringing down the entire network if utilized effectively. An account named @EfficiencyDOGE subsequently posted a public disclosure detailing a video and step-by-step guidance on how to exploit this critical vulnerability.

@EfficiencyDOGE” mentioned that DogeReaper refers to a significant weakness in the Dogecoin system, enabling anyone to cause any Dogecoin server to malfunction from a distance.

In simpler terms, the report described that the flaw functions similar to the mysterious notebook from the widely known Japanese manga series titled “Death Note.” This notebook has a dark power; anyone whose name is written within it instantly perishes.

Using “DogeReaper,” a user can essentially cause a specific Dogecoin node to fail by simply entering the node’s address. This action results in an immediate crash due to a Segmentation Fault.

Due to the fact that Dogecoin node addresses are openly available information, it was claimed that “it’s possible for anyone to bring down the entire Dogecoin system within a moment’s notice.

The account stated that if this flaw had been discovered by a mischievous user rather than us, they might have halted the Dogecoin network temporarily, preventing any transactions or block creation for several days.

It seems that Kohl’s announcement didn’t seem to influence the price of Dogecoin significantly. Based on information from crypto.news, Dogecoin has actually risen by about 3.1% in the recent 24-hour trading period, with a 24-hour trading volume of approximately $7.3 billion.

Furthermore, it was stated that Tobias Ruck and RoqqitDev allegedly submitted numerous warnings to both the network and significant exchanges with the intention of shielding users from taking advantage of the discovered vulnerability.

Following the receipt of the information, Binance promised to address the vulnerability within the current week. Meanwhile, Coinbase assessed the DogeReaper report as having low severity, labeling it as “informative,” and awarding Ruck $200 upon marking the ticket.

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2024-12-12 22:12