Introducing Darkleaks
The blackmarket running on the bitcoin block chain for leaking confidential secrets, hollywood movies, software exploits and so on.
by Zozan Cudi (@ZozanCudi)
Cryptocurrencies existed for ages but all had the same issue that is common in the world of information technology: the double-spending problem. Bitcoin, introduced in 2009, solved this issue thanks to the block chain technology.
The block chain is a massive distributed data base all over the bitcoin protocol which can do so much more. Indeed, the two first applications of bitcoin which are the decentralized currency and the peer-to-peer payment network are just the tip of the iceberg for all the possibilities bitcoin can deliver.
Distributed blackmarkets can be built on top of this block chain and Darkleaks is one of these new applications.
Sell and buy information anonymously
Darkleaks is a decentralised blackmarket where you can sell information. It has a mechanism for trustless authentication of documents that are being sold through a novel cryptographic mechanism. The authentication is fair, provably fair. Before paying for the file, a random selection of segments are released chosen by the block chain demonstrating the file’s contents match the leaker’s claim.
The software uses Bitcoin’s block chain to encrypt files which are released when payment is claimed by the leaker. Files are split into segments and encrypted. These segments are unlocked only when the leaker reveals the key by claiming his Bitcoins.
There is no identity, no central operator and no interaction between leaker and buyers. We encourage everyone to download Darkleaks now and start building. The code can be found here.
Unstoppable Leaks
We give the world a new scheme for selling information of any type, form or kind. This is a gift for you to stop corruption and challenge power.
Darkleaks is the best tool to trade any kind of media, information, video, data and documents that have value.
- Hollywood movies
- Trade secrets
- Government secrets
- Proprietary source code
- Industrial designs like medicine or defence
- Zero day exploits
- Stolen databases
- Proof of tax evasion
- Military intelligence
- Celebrity sex pictures
- Corruption
Developer Information
Command line tools
To get started, install python-obelisk and libbitcoin.
git clone https://github.com/darkwallet/darkleaks/
Follow the instructions in the README.
Python API
The python/ subdirectory contains the Python bindings.
import darkleaks
source_filename = …
number_chunks = 20
release_chunks = 12
block_hash = …
darkleaks.start(source_filename, “output_segments”, number_chunks)
proofs = darkleaks.prove(source_filename, number_chunks, block_hash, release_chunks)
secret_keys = darkleaks.secrets(source_filename, number_chunks)
See the example.py for more info.
How does it work?
When the leaker selects a document, it is broken up into segments. Each of the segments is hashed, and a Bitcoin address is generated using the hash as the secret key. From this public key, a new key is generated to encrypt the segments. The encrypted segments are released for public download with the list of Bitcoin addresses.
To prove the authenticity of the document, the system uses a trustless provably fair mechanism. When announcing the leak, the leaker chooses a date and number of the chunks to be released. Based on the Bitcoin block hash at that time, some provably fair random numbers are chosen to select segments to be unlocked. This allows the community to verify the veracity of the file and decide whether they want to pay for the remaining encrypted segments.
The buyers then send Bitcoins to these addresses. When the leaker decides to claim the Bitcoins from the private key, due to how Bitcoin is designed he must release the public key which allows the buyers to decrypt the document.
Because the leaker cannot pre-choose which segments are released, the buyers can verify the addresses are correct, and the segments can be decrypted. This makes for an authenticatable and trustless mechanism for selling information on the decentralised black market.
So what’s next?
Don’t be afraid. Come join the revolution and reclaim your freedom.
The gloves are off. The revolt has begun.
