55 BTC Stolen Through Security Vulnerability in Android Bitcoin Wallets

A few days ago a severe vulnerability in the Android implementation of the Java SecureRandom random number generator was discovered. The result of this vulnerability is that private keys used in transactions on Android devices can be determined. All bitcoins in addresses used on Android devices need to be immediately rotated to a new address. Bitcoin uses public/private key cryptography to sign bitcoin transactions. The security of the system relies on each address having it’s own private key that is only known by the owner of the address. If a malicious party were to gain control of the private keys …