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Overwritten Crypto Wallet Key Recovered

Overwritten Crypto Wallet Key Recovered

Device:
MacBook Air

Asset:
Self-custody crypto wallet (NEO/Neon wallet)

Estimated Value at Risk:
Approximately $96,000 in cryptocurrency

Problem:
Private key was overwritten during editing/copy/paste

Key Location:
Apple Notes (stored as text)

A customer suddenly lost access to a cryptocurrency wallet containing approximately $96,000 after updating a note on their computer. They had been keeping wallet credentials inside the Notes app. During an edit, which was likely a copy-and-paste operation, the private key was accidentally overwritten.

The customer reported minimal use of the device after the mistake and had not attempted to use DIY recovery tools, which helped preserve the best possible chance of crypto recovery.

The Challenge

Crypto keys don’t allow for “close enough.” A single incorrect, missing, or extra character can prevent access entirely.

In this case, the customer overwrote the original private key in Notes with a similar but truncated version, so the visible note could no longer be trusted. The best chance of success was to look beneath the Notes interface and into the artifacts created by the app’s underlying database, where prior versions of edited text can sometimes remain.

The Process

Confidential Workflow

Work was performed using a high-security process on an isolated system, separated from DriveSavers Data Recovery’s standard networked environments.

Forensic Imaging

The team created verified images of the storage media to preserve the original state while analysis continued on controlled copies.

Targeted Artifact Hunt

Instead of relying on what the Notes app displayed, the team traced where the app stores and updates content behind the scenes—specifically within the Notes database and its change-tracking files.

The engineering team examined relevant Notes artifacts at a low level and searched for candidate strings consistent with the expected private-key pattern. In this way, the team located multiple instances of a candidate key that fit the expected structure and appeared to be an earlier, uncorrupted version.

Verification

In crypto recovery, validation is everything. A key is only “recovered” when it can be proven correct.

Cryptographic Validation

Candidate private keys recovered from Notes database artifacts were validated by deriving the corresponding public key using the NEO wallet’s cryptographic algorithm.

Known Public Key Match

Each derived public key was compared to the public key/wallet address the customer had recorded separately. When one matched exactly, the team could confirm with certainty that the correct private key had been recovered.

Minimal Return

The customer received the recovered key in a text format, limited to exactly what was needed.

The Outcome

The customer regained access to their wallet and confirmed the recovered key worked as expected.

I had to get creative and perform a raw hex analysis of the drive to locate previous versions of the Notes database entries. After identifying possible private key fragments in unallocated space, I validated them against the customer’s known public key and unlocked the wallet.

– Will DeLisi
DriveSavers Data Recovery Engineer

Why This Worked

When a key is overwritten, it may be gone from the “front end” view. But apps like Notes often rely on databases that generate working files and recent-change artifacts. Even if the final, visible note is wrong, traces of earlier text can sometimes persist underneath—especially when the device hasn’t been heavily used afterward.

Technical Deep Dive

If you’re curious why this isn’t as simple as searching for a text file or document:

Database Storage

Notes stores content in a database rather than a single plain-text file.

Change Artifacts

Databases commonly use companion files to track recent updates, and those artifacts can retain earlier text even after edits.

Manual Recovery

Engineers examine the raw data to locate candidates by pattern and structure, and then validate them through wallet behavior and public-key matching.

If You’re In This Situation

If you suspect you overwrote or corrupted a private key:

Stop Using the Device: New activity can overwrite residual artifacts that may still contain earlier text.

Do Not Make Further Edits: Repeated copy/paste or “fixing” the key can destroy what remains of the prior version.

Preserve Verification Details: If you have the public key/address recorded elsewhere, keep it—it can help confirm that the correct private key is found.

Next Step: Preserve the device in its current state and collect any remaining wallet identifiers (public key/address, wallet app name/version, where the key was stored). Then call DriveSavers. Data Recovery Advisors are available 24/7.

Learn More About Crypto Wallet Recovery

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