In an update published yesterday on the Mt.Gox website, customers of the now-bankrupt exchange are now able to log in and view their account information. The interface appears to be a simple query system for the same database released by hackers earlier this month, and is currently limited to account balance information.
Given the history of Mt.Gox’s poor security and the past attempts by hackers to use account data to spread wallet-stealing viruses, the update was met with extreme skepticism by many in the bitcoin community. Several sources, including CoinDesk, were able to confirm through the Mt.Gox customer call center that the database is legitimate.
In posting the account data, Mt.Gox clearly states that the information has limited legal relevance. The move may simply be a method to allow access to already-released data without exposing users to the risk of downloading malware.
This balance confirmation service is provided on this site only for the convenience of all users. … Please be aware that confirming the balance on this site does not constitute a filing of rehabilitation claims under the civil rehabilitation procedure and note that the balance amounts shown on this site should also not be considered an acknowledgment by MtGox Co., Ltd. of the amount of any rehabilitation claims of users.
Many questions about the database remain unanswered, and several users have reported that the account balances do not accurately reflect the trades made in the final days before the exchange went offline. This could eventually cause another headache, particularly for services like Bitcoin Builder, which bought huge volumes of Mt.Gox coins in the exchange’s final hours.
