Hackers steal $600 Million in Cryptocurrency Heist
Hackers have stolen some $600m (£433m) dealing a Blockchain Provider a record $600 Million loss in Cryptocurrency in what appears to be one the largest cryptocurrency heists ever.
Blockchain site Poly Network said hackers had exploited a vulnerability in its system and taken thousands of digital tokens such as Ether.
In a letter posted on Twitter, it urged the thieves to “establish communication and return the hacked assets”.
When put on scale, the hack is on par with huge recent breaches at exchanges such as Coincheck and Mt Gox.
In its letter Poly Network said: “The amount of money you have hacked is one of the biggest in defi [decentralised finance] history, referring to the $600 Million Loss in Cryptocurrency.
“Law enforcement in any country will regard this as a major economic crime and you will be pursued.
“The money you stole are [sic] from tens of thousands of crypto community members, hence the people.”
Poly Network said a preliminary investigation found a hacker exploited a “vulnerability between contract calls”.
It urged various exchanges to block deposits of the coins, after millions of dollars in tokens were transferred to separate cryptocurrency wallets.
About $267m of Ether currency has been taken, $252m of Binance coins and roughly $85 million in USDC tokens.
Changpeng Zhao, chief executive of Binance, said his firm was aware of the hack, but added there was only so much he could do.
He said the group was “co-ordinating with all our security partners to proactively help”.
“There are no guarantees,” he added.
Poly Networks implements interoperability between various blockchains, including Ethereum and the Binance Chain, which were both ensnared in the attack. They have called on cryptocurrency exchanges and miners not to accept transactions from the hacker-controlled wallets.
Hacker Leaves Message
The hacker appears to be leaving messages in one of the wallets.
“It would have been a billion hack if I had moved remaining shitcoins!” one message says. “Not so interested in money, now considering returning some tokens or just leaving them here.”
Source: BBC