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Re:Poly Network hacker returns $258M after stealing $600M by spullara on Thursday August 12, 2021 @01:03PM (#28158787)
If you find a software bug in an ATM that gives you all the money from the machine it absolutely would be considered theft. A bad lock on a door (or even no lock) doesn't give you the right to steal things behind that door. IMHO this is how the law would look at it and not care a wit about whether or not there was a flaw in the software. IANAL but have seen this kind of argument play out ever since computer bugs were exploited by unauthorized individuals.
Re:Poly Network hacker returns $258M after stealing $600M by joe_the_user on Thursday August 12, 2021 @01:40PM (#28159203)
The thing about that is smart contracts are intended to not operate this way. The aim of a smart contract is that whatever happens is the ultimate rule - the contract enforces itself.

Such an intention doesn't cause laws and courts to stop existing or make things so courts won't interpret certain actions as theft. But it complicates things.

Re:Poly Network hacker returns $258M after stealing $600M by kinghajj on Thursday August 12, 2021 @01:12PM (#28158870)
ATM machines aren't marketed that "their code is law," whereas that's an explicitly espoused property of smart contracts.