Kraken Reveals Security Vulnerabilities in Bitcoin ATMs

The machines’ manufacturer has released patches to mend the problem, but more revisions may be needed.

AccessTimeIconSep 30, 2021 at 3:34 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:19 p.m. UTC
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A commonly used model of bitcoin ATMs has several software and hardware vulnerabilities, Kraken Security Labs revealed in a blog post yesterday.

  • The security team notified the manufacturer, General Bytes, on April 20 of the attack vectors. General Bytes has released patches for the back-end system, but some fixes may require hardware revisions, Kraken said.
  • Bitcoin ATMs allow users to buy bitcoin using fiat currency. General Bytes is the second-largest manufacturer of Bitcoin ATMs, representing 22.7% of the global market, according to information provider Coin ATM Radar.
  • The model in question, the BATMtwo (GBBATM2), had several vulnerabilities, according to Kraken, including a default administrative QR code, the underlying Android operating software, the ATM’s management system and the machine’s hardware case.

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Eliza Gkritsi

Eliza Gkritsi is a CoinDesk contributor focused on the intersection of crypto and AI.


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