Published on: 2011-06-28T13:24:26+00:00
In a series of email exchanges, it was discussed whether Mt Gox-related topics should be discussed on the Bitcoin development forum. Gavin Andresen clarified that the mailing list is not meant for discussing Mt Gox or other sites and software related to bitcoin. Mike Hearn supported this stance, stating that Mt Gox-related content was unrelated to the core Bitcoin software.However, others argued that Mt Gox's code is just as relevant as other Bitcoin software, such as BitcoinJ. They pointed out that since Mt Gox's code is closed source, forum members couldn't do anything about it unlike with other software discussed on the platform.In June 2011, a message was posted on the Bitcoin-development mailing list by Doug Huff regarding a live trade matching bug on Mt. Gox. This bug allowed users to exploit the system by withdrawing all USD funds and placing a buy order large enough to drain their account. The order would be set at a low enough price that it wouldn't execute immediately. Traders could then wait for the market to fall further to meet their order.Huff suggested either taking down the Mt. Gox site until the bug was corrected or publicly demonstrating how the order would never execute. He also warned that even if the bug was only a display bug, it could still be used to manipulate market conditions.The discussion continued on whether Mt Gox-related discussions should be kept off the Bitcoin-development mailing list. One member requested that these discussions be excluded as they weren't related to the core software. The email thread ended with a digital signature attachment for added security.Doug Huff also sent an email to the Full Disclosure mailing list, Mt.Gox, and Bitcoin Dev Development groups to raise awareness about the trade matching bug. In this email, he provided more details about how traders could exploit the bug to drain their accounts and influence market conditions. The email contained two attachments, smime.p7s and PGP.sig, which couldn't be opened without additional information.In summary, the discussion on the Bitcoin-development mailing list revolved around whether Mt Gox-related topics should be allowed. It was argued that while Mt Gox's code is closed source and beyond the control of forum members, it is still relevant to discuss. In June 2011, a trade matching bug was discovered on Mt. Gox, allowing users to exploit the system. Doug Huff suggested taking down the site until the bug was fixed or publicly demonstrating how the order would never execute. The email thread ended with a digital signature attachment for added security.
Updated on: 2023-08-01T02:02:21.082874+00:00