Skip to main content
2 of 2
attempt to clarify by removing noisy hypothesys.
ben75
  • 5.3k
  • 12
  • 32

Can I be forced to reuse an address by confirming a transaction that is part of a double-spend attempt?

Imagine somebody injects two transactions d1 and d2 into the network that together represent a double-spend attempt. Having only incomplete information of all latest transactions in the network, I see one of them first, let's say d1, and confirm it with my transaction t that spends the funds at my address a. The network eventually resolves the double-spend by dismissing one of d1 and d2. So, if I am unlucky, d1 is dismissed and in consequence my transaction t becomes invalid.

I am forced to create a transaction t' spending funds from the same address as t, namely a. However, I'm not supposed to do that because it compromises my private key for a (see also this question). If my second attempt fails again for whatever reason (maybe an attacker is flooding the network with double-spends to make such situations likely, see also this question I asked), an even larger part of my private key is revealed.

Is this an issue and what can I do about it as a user?

lex82
  • 1.1k
  • 7
  • 18