# Moniker spoofing

**URL:** <https://forum.cosmos.network/t/moniker-spoofing/679>\
**Category:** Validation\
**Created:** [August 3, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://forum.cosmos.network/t/moniker-spoofing/679 "2018-08-03T14:59:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![engineer\_x](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.cosmos.network/engineer_x/32/172_2.png) [@engineer\_x](https://forum.cosmos.network/u/engineer_x)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://forum.cosmos.network/t/moniker-spoofing/679/1 "2018-08-03T14:59:15Z")

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It seems to me like moniker spoofing is a risk, to node reputation at the least.

A possible way to address this may be to have monikers registered to an address and require signing from that address to associate the moniker to a node.

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**Author:** ![luigi](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.cosmos.network/luigi/32/6767_2.png) [@luigi](https://forum.cosmos.network/u/luigi)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.cosmos.network/t/moniker-spoofing/679/2 "2018-08-06T22:02:46Z")

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The risk would still exist because spoofers could use similar spellings, etc to the real validator’s moniker.  
e.g.  
real validator’s moniker: engineer\_x  
spoofer’s moniker: engineeer\_x

Maybe ask delegators to check validator address (or something else that is derived from the private key) before believing spoofer’s story.

Staking commands use “account\_cosmosaccaddr” already, and not moniker, so this risk is somewhat mitigated.

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**Author:** ![iqlusion](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.cosmos.network/iqlusion/32/294_2.png) [@iqlusion](https://forum.cosmos.network/u/iqlusion)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://forum.cosmos.network/t/moniker-spoofing/679/3 "2018-08-06T22:23:52Z")

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Good ol’ Zooko’s Triangle:

> **[Zooko's triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooko%27s_triangle)**
>
> Zooko's triangle is a trilemma of three properties that are generally considered desirable for names of participants in a network protocol:
> Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn conjectured that no single kind of name can achieve more than two. For example: DNSSec offers a decentralized, human-meaningful naming scheme, but is not secure against compromise by the root; .onion addresses and bitcoin addresses are secure and decentralized but not human-meaningful; and I2P uses name translation services which are sec...

One solution would be to use an existing naming system like DNS for monikers. Then it would be possible to tie a domain name to a key, using e.g. a TXT record (an approach not too far off from the DV method for issuing X.509 certificates)

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**Author:** ![engineer\_x](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.cosmos.network/engineer_x/32/172_2.png) [@engineer\_x](https://forum.cosmos.network/u/engineer_x)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://forum.cosmos.network/t/moniker-spoofing/679/4 "2018-08-07T02:32:22Z")

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> [@luigi](#):
>
> Staking commands use “account\_cosmosaccaddr” already, and not moniker, so this risk is somewhat mitigated.

I see. Thank you luigi, makes sense.

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**Author:** ![engineer\_x](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forum.cosmos.network/engineer_x/32/172_2.png) [@engineer\_x](https://forum.cosmos.network/u/engineer_x)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://forum.cosmos.network/t/moniker-spoofing/679/5 "2018-08-07T02:38:26Z")

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Zooko’s triangle 🤣 I love being involved with a group of smart people 😉