Wallets & security
Typed data: readable fields still need interpretation
A structured signature request can authorise an action you did not intend.
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- Read the domain and the action Check the verifying contract, chain context and message fields. Identify the spender or recipient, value, deadline and any other terms that constrain the intended action. A familiar application name displayed in the domain is not independent proof of the requesting site's identity.
- Separate display quality from permission quality A wallet can render a message clearly while the requested permission remains broader than you intended. Conversely, an unfamiliar field is not automatically malicious. The correct question is whether the meaning of the complete signed structure matches the action you chose.
- Preserve enough evidence to reproduce the interpretation For an investigation, record the origin, typed data and relevant contract version without publishing private keys or an exploitable unexpired signature. Explain which field enables the disputed action. A screenshot saying “sign message” is weaker evidence than the actual message structure and the code that consumes it.
EIP-712 defines structured data hashing and signing. Its purpose includes making signed messages easier to interpret than opaque bytes. A well-formatted signature request is still a request to authorise whatever the receiving application treats that message as authorising.
Read the domain and the action Check the verifying contract, chain context and message fields. Identify the spender or recipient, value, deadline and any other terms that constrain the intended action. A familiar application name displayed in the domain is not independent proof of the requesting site's identity.
Separate display quality from permission quality A wallet can render a message clearly while the requested permission remains broader than you intended. Conversely, an unfamiliar field is not automatically malicious. The correct question is whether the meaning of the complete signed structure matches the action you chose.
Preserve enough evidence to reproduce the interpretation For an investigation, record the origin, typed data and relevant contract version without publishing private keys or an exploitable unexpired signature. Explain which field enables the disputed action. A screenshot saying “sign message” is weaker evidence than the actual message structure and the code that consumes it.
Fuentes
Ethereum Improvement Proposals · eip-712Technical reference checked 9 September 2026. The review questions are editorial analysis, not findings about a named project.