Private Key Leak via Friend.Tech Telegram Bot 'FriendSniperTch' Sparks Security Concerns

Published: November 06, 2023 at 3:23 am Updated: November 06, 2023 at 3:24 am

Edited and fact-checked:
November 06, 2023 at 3:23 am

In Brief

Yu Xian, founder of SlowMist, reported this morning on Twitter that two incidents involving the theft of Friend.tech users’ private keys had occurred, both linked to the use of the FriendSniper Telegram bot.

Cos, the founder of SlowMist with an evident interest in cybersecurity, has raised an alarm regarding the security of private keys on the crypto platform friend.tech.

This morning, reports came in about two separate incidents of private key theft among the platform’s users. The common denominator in both cases appears to be the use of a Telegram Bot named @FriendSniperTch.

Cosine’s (Cos) tweet revealed that both stolen private keys were related to users of friend.tech. There is suspicion that the FriendSniper Telegram Bot might be involved in leaking private keys. In response, the SlowMist team has offered a portal for affected users to report similar incidents for further investigation.

今早我们收到两封被盗提交的表单信息，发现都是 https://t.co/xvDZPEKscJ 用户私钥有关的被盗，目前都说用了 @FriendSniperTch 的 Telegram Bot，此前我们成功拦截的被盗也怀疑是这个 Bot 泄漏的私钥。我们也仔细看了该 Bot 官方的解释：https://t.co/WcedAsTzzn…

— Cos(余弦)😶‍🌫️ (@evilcos) November 6, 2023

Friend.Tech Sniper Bot Creates Unease Among Users

On the other side, the FriendSniperTch team has addressed the community’s concerns regarding the platform’s security. They assured users that funds on the platform are safe and provided a detailed explanation in the face of these theft accusations.

FriendSniperTch highlighted the fact that account deletion via their bot leads to the corresponding removal from their database. This action appears to discount the bot as a source of the security breach.

They challenged the rationale that ties the use of their bot to the compromise of FT accounts. They suggest that mere correlation does not necessarily imply causation.

The Friend Sniper team displayed their confidence in their security by publishing a wallet’s database entry linked to a friend.tech account. They challenged skeptics to try compromising it, signaling their trust in their system’s robustness.

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Nik is an accomplished analyst and writer at Metaverse Post, specializing in delivering cutting-edge insights into the fast-paced world of technology, with a particular emphasis on AI/ML, XR, VR, on-chain analytics, and blockchain development. His articles engage and inform a diverse audience, helping them stay ahead of the technological curve. Possessing a Master’s degree in Economics and Management, Nik has a solid grasp of the nuances of the business world and its intersection with emergent technologies.

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