Cypherock
  • Introduction
  • Design Decisions
    • The balance between security and convenience
    • Cypherock X1 Hardware architecture
      • Using ultrasonic welding for the X1 Vault enclosure
      • Encrypted NFC communication for X1 cards
      • Using Javacards instead of MicroSD
      • Choosing USB vs QR Code
      • Why the X1 cards are not upgradeable
    • Cypherock is BIP39 compliant
    • Private keys should be near to impossible to extract
    • Conflict between trusted parties should not result in unauthorized access
    • Using Shamir Secret Sharing vs. Multi-sig
      • How is Shamir Secret Sharing implemented within Cypherock X1
      • Why Cypherock has a default 2/5 threshold scheme
      • Rejected Key Schemes
    • PIN Protection on Cypherock X1
      • Difference between backing up your PIN vs. Seed Phrase
  • Security Overview
    • Introduction
    • Keylabs - Third Party Security Audit
    • Remote Attacks
    • Physical Attacks
      • $5 Wrench Attack
      • PIN Brute Force Attack
      • Evil Maid Attack
      • Flashing Malicious Firmware
      • Side Channel Attack
      • Supply Chain Attack
  • Cypherock X1 Features
    • Eliminate messy paper backups
    • Open source with secure elements
    • Use Cypherock as a seed phrase vault
    • All-in-one Portfolio Manager
  • Getting Started
    • Download cySync
    • Import Seed Phrase from existing BIP39 compatible wallet
    • Generate a new wallet with Cypherock X1
    • How Cypherock generates your 24-word seed phrase
    • Best practices in keeping your X1 cards secure
      • Use the protective card sleeves
      • Geographical Seperation
      • Choosing your guardians
    • How do I know I am not locked-in to using only Cypherock X1
    • How do I know my Cypherock X1 is genuine?
      • Email 2FA for Product Authentication
    • How to recover your Crypto assets in the case of loss or theft
    • What happens to my Cypherock X1 if Cypherock goes out of business?
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  1. Design Decisions
  2. Cypherock X1 Hardware architecture

Choosing USB vs QR Code

Since launching Cypherock X1, a lot of users requested us to support airgap operation through QR codes. Our conclusion is that air-gapped communication offers little-to-no added hardware wallet security while degrading the user experience. QR codes have similar threat models as that of USB communication. Here are some points that were considered while choosing to move forward with USB connectivity:

  1. QR codes compromise a lot on UX when there are a lot of input UTXOs. For hardware wallets to make secure transactions, all of the transaction hashes of spendable outputs need to be verified in the hardware which could be in multiple kilobytes. Wallets that do not fetch this and do not verify this on the hardware are compromising on security. So QR code-based wallets will take a lot of time to transfer all of this data from the mobile app to the hardware. Whereas, this is 100 times faster through USB.

  2. QR codes can be vulnerable to phishing attacks or other forms of social engineering, where an attacker tricks the user into scanning a malicious address that steals their Crypto assets. While using QR codes, the user usually does not verify the recipient's address manually.

  3. Performing firmware updates with QR codes is not feasible, there will be a requirement to either connect with USB or utilize SD cards for updates - which can be cumbersome from a user experience standpoint. In some ways, if the user has to use the USB or SD card for a firmware update, that means the promise of the hardware wallet being completely air-gapped through the QR code becomes null and void.

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Last updated 1 year ago

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