Electrum crypto wallet flaw turned payment speed-ups into a theft trap

Electrum has patched a crypto wallet flaw that let malicious servers trick users into sending Bitcoin to attackers. Developers disclosed the issue on October 24 after receiving two user reports, including one involving lost funds. The trap targeted a routine action: raising a payment’s fee to help it go through faster. Versions before 4.8.3 are affected, and developers have urged users to upgrade. The disclosed attack required users to approve an altered payment. A slow payment concealed a different destination Electrum uses outside servers to retrieve payment information and send transactions to the Bitcoin network. According to the developers’ advisory, a dishonest server could hold a legitimate payment, but it will show a fake one in the wallet’s history.

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