Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01138
The recovery took eleven days of GPU computation.
SurvivesCase description
A user reported in early 2023 that they had successfully recovered a forgotten Trezor passphrase through a brute-force service after providing approximately 30 candidate passphrases based on their known habits in the year the wallet was created. The service ran all variants and combinations of the candidates with common character substitutions and eventually recovered the correct passphrase—a slightly modified version of a password the user had used frequently in that period. The recovery took eleven days of GPU computation.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Passphrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2023 |
| Country | International |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Privately Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving passphrase unavailable
217 cases involve passphrase unavailable
274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key)
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This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
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Framework references
Where Bitcoin Custody Intersects Legal and Fiduciary Authority
Where custody creates gaps in estate planning, fiduciary duty, and professional responsibility.
Professional Scope Boundary Matrix
What each professional or product covers, what they do not, and where gaps form between them.
The Independent Assessment Layer in Bitcoin Custody
How independent diagnostic layers emerge when multiple parties depend on shared infrastructure.