Preventing Address Poisoning & Clipboard Hijacking
The Executive Verdict
Introduction: The Psychology of the Attack
Humans use "First and Last Recognition" for long strings. Attackers generate addresses that match your first/last 4 digits. To the eye, they look identical. To the blockchain, they are different.
A side-by-side comparison of two addresses. Red boxes highlight the middle 30 characters where they differ, while green boxes show the matching ends. Headline: "Spot the Difference — Your Eyes Can't."
1. Anatomy of an Address Poisoning Attack
1. Monitor: Bot watches your wallet. 2. Clone: Bot generates vanity address (0x71C...EF12). 3. Poison: Sends $0.00. 4. Trap: You copy address from history. 5. Loss: You send funds to hacker.
2. Clipboard Hijacking: The "Clipper" Malware
A software-based attack. Malware monitors your clipboard. When you copy a crypto address, it instantly swaps it for the hacker's address. You paste the wrong address without noticing.
3. The "Clean Hands" Protocol
4. Software Defenses: The "Anti-Poison" Stack
Use wallets with Transaction Simulation (flags new addresses), Spam Filtering (hides $0 txs), and Address Book Labels (unlabeled = stranger).
A screenshot of a "Safe" wallet UI vs a "Dangerous" wallet UI. The Safe UI shows "Spam Filtered" and "Verified Label." The Dangerous UI shows a cluttered list of lookalike addresses.
5. Operational Drill: The "Full String" Audit
If verifying manually, use the "Middle-Four" Technique. Check characters 20-24. Generating a first/middle/last match is computationally impossible for attackers.
6. The "Token Approval" Overlap
If you receive a fake token, do NOT approve it to sell it. The approval is a trap to drain your real tokens. Ignore and hide random tokens.
7. Incident Response
If you sent to a lookalike: Smart Contract? 0.1% chance of rescue. Pending? Use RBF (Replace-By-Fee) immediately. Exchange address? Contact support.
Conclusion: Digital Hygiene is Manual
Assess your history as poisoned. Assume your clipboard is hijacked. Trust only your Whitelist and your hardware screen. Professionalism is measured by the shortcuts you don't take.
F.A.Q // Logical Clarification
Can I get hacked by receiving a $0 token?
"No. The danger is your reaction (copying the address)."
Why doesn't the wallet block it?
"Blockchains are permissionless. Wallets serve as filters, but are not perfect."
Does ENS protect me?
"It helps, but consider Homoglyph attacks (c0mpany.eth vs company.eth). Hex is safer."
How to check for Clippers?
"Copy an address to Notepad. If it changes, re-install OS immediately."
Module ActionsCW-MA-2026
Institutional Context
"This module has been cross-referenced with Operations & Security / Transaction Hygiene standards for maximum operational reliability."