Something that I've been wondering since the last attack on BU nodes. Can you fake a full node just by sending packets and not actually have the blockchain and any valid data?
From what I understand the last attack (and possibly others) was done by sending huge packets from computers pretending to be bitcoin nodes? If so would it be possible for a similar attack where they appear to be valid full nodes but aren't. Just a small piece of software that appears to send valid data and registers on node counters.
If that kind of attack is possible how long before we see the core node count jump up 10x in support of UASF? One machine could host dozens if not hundreds of such nodes without needing the blockchain.
Hope I didn't just give the bad guys an idea.......
They most certainly can. A Sybil attack is basically what the UASF is. The amount of actual nodes can be shifted very much by an attacker with even modest funding.
76 million would buy a lot of fake nodes that way. Makes you wonder how many of those 5000+ core nodes are fake.
see my post below
See my post on the ability for fake nodes to cause a chain split:
https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@kyle.anderson/uasf-the-bitcoin-takeover-event-is-the-bip148-user-activated-soft-fork-a-contentious-sybil-takeover-of-bitcoin-to-force-segwit
... do you even have to ask?
https://github.com/basil00/PseudoNode