In a fascinating turn of events, a crypto user known as Michael was able to recover 43.6 bitcoins that he had lost access to 11 years ago. This remarkable feat was made possible by the collaboration between cybersecurity researchers Joe Grand and Bruno. Through their expertise, they were able to crack the password generator used to create the unique password for Michael’s wallet, ultimately leading to the recovery of his lost coins.
Michael initially set up the wallet back in 2013 and used RoboForm to generate the password. Due to security concerns, he chose to store the password in an encrypted file, rather than in RoboForm itself. This decision ultimately backfired, as the encrypted file became corrupted, resulting in Michael losing access to his wallet.
Despite facing this setback, Michael did not give up hope. In 2022, he reached out to Joe Grand for help, but was initially turned down. Undeterred, Michael persisted and tried again in June 2023, eventually catching Grand’s attention. Together, Grand and Bruno delved into the process of recovering the lost assets.
Through their investigation, the researchers discovered a vulnerability in RoboForm’s random number generator. This vulnerability linked each generated password to the date and time it was created on the user’s computer. Although the bug had been fixed in 2015, Grand and Bruno believed that it could have impacted passwords generated before then.
Michael was crucial in this process, as he remembered the date he had created the password. With this information in hand, Grand and Bruno meticulously tested hundreds of passwords until they finally uncovered the correct one, which had been generated on May 15, 2013. With the password in hand, they were able to access the wallet and retrieve the lost bitcoins.
Current Status
As a token of appreciation, Michael gave a portion of the recovered bitcoins to Grand and Bruno when BTC was valued at $38,000. Subsequently, when the value of the asset rose to $62,000, Michael decided to sell some bitcoins for himself. He currently holds 30 BTC, which is estimated to be worth around $2 million, and he plans to hold onto them until the asset reaches $100,000.
The story of Michael recovering his lost bitcoins serves as a testament to the power of cybersecurity expertise and perseverance. It highlights the importance of safeguarding crypto assets and the incredible skill set possessed by individuals like Joe Grand and Bruno in the field of cybersecurity.
