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Low 44 Bitcoin

block some USB command in hobble mode

Public commit record

What the developer wrote

Authored by Peter D. Gray

45/100 · Thin
block some USB command in hobble mode
✓ Descriptive subject✓ Names a concrete action or component! No meaningful explanatory body
The short version

What changed, and why it matters

This commit adds extra guardrails to a COLDCARD hardware wallet feature called 'hobble mode' (a spending-policy / restricted-access state). It now blocks several USB commands—such as creating backups, enrolling multisig wallets, and certain user-management commands—when the device is hobbled. It also makes firmware uploads in hobbled mode follow the same stricter rules used in HSM mode. The change appears to be a hardening patch rather than a fix for an active exploit, because the feature was already intended to restrict these commands but some were not being blocked.

Recommended action

Treat as a security hardening commit. Review whether any other USB commands (for example, those that export seed material, change PINs, or modify policy settings) should also be blocked in hobbled mode. Verify the 'okeys' policy semantics are documented and that the error message does not leak sensitive state. Consider whether the change warrants a changelog/security note for users relying on hobble mode.

Security signals we found

01

New command blacklist enforced when hobbled_mode is active

02

Existing HSM-style firmware-upload restrictions extended to hobbled mode

03

Spending-policy flag 'okeys' gates the 'pass' command

04

New exception handling returns explicit 'Spending policy in effect' error

05

Unit tests added to verify command blocking

Risk score

Why this scored 44/100

Our methodology →
Potential impact 12/30
Exploitability 8/25
Stealth signal 6/15
Affected reach 7/15
Confidence 7/10
Evidence quality 4/5
Human-validated context

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