Development of Exploitation Techniques Against Cryptowallets

The Digital Forensics Unit of Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation (CI) provides forensic support for task forces agents, computer investigative specialists, and cyber investigators throughout the country in conducting numerous activities. Digital Forensics routinely encounters cryptowallets subject to seizure and forfeiture. Though a few known cyber penetration testers have published vulnerabilities on specific devices, the process of decrypting the hardware devices to gain access to the wallets has been challenging. In support of IRS CI, further forensic research is needed to mature the process and obtain reliable results. The objective of this requirement is to: Validate cybersecurity research in cryptographic wallets exploitation in a forensic laboratory, Identify new methods to gain access to cryptographic wallets using existing exploit paths, Identify successful cryptographic models exploits can be accomplished, Document the processes, hardware, and skillsets needed for reproduction in an advance digital forensic laboratory, and Create hands-on training for the identified techniques in supporting of IRS CI Digital Forensics Laboratory. The explicit outcome of this initiative is to tame the cybersecurity research into measured, repeatable, consistent digital forensics processes that can be trained and followed in a digital forensics laboratory.