What is ECDSA and RFC-6979?

Modified on Wed, 17 May 2023 at 11:10 AM

The ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) is an asymmetric key encryption technique widely used in the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchain. A RFC (Request for Comments) is a formal document containing technical specifications and organizational notes for the Internet.


In the early ECDSA algorithms, there was a temporary signature variable called k (Ephemeral Key) that was generated for one-time use only. However, due to the insufficient randomness of this value, attackers can obtain it through reverse engineering, leading to the leakage of private keys. RFC-6979 is the improvement method to solve this problem to ensure the security of the ECDSA.


The ECDSA in CoolWallet has already been updated to RFC-6979. Please update the firmware of your CoolWallet Pro/S to the latest version to ensure that your assets are protected by the upgraded technique.


If you are interested in the details of the ECDSA and RFC-6979, please click the following links to learn more.


https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6979 

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