Web3 security firm Cyvers detected suspicious transactions on Indonesian exchange Indodax’s wallets on September 11th. The attack involved over 150 transactions and digital assets worth an estimated $20.58 million are believed to have been stolen. Some experts suspect the North Korean hacking group Lazarus Group may be responsible due to attack characteristics.
Indonesian Crypto Exchange Hit by $20.5M Hack, Lazarus Group Suspected
This article was published more than a year ago. Some information may no longer be current.
WRITTEN BY
SHARE
Indodax Hack Shows Signs of Lazarus Group Involvement
Web3 security firm Cyvers disclosed on Sept. 11 that it had detected multiple suspicious transactions involving the wallets of Indonesian cryptocurrency exchange Indodax. Initially, Cyvers said the suspicious address held digital assets worth $14.4 million. However, in a later statement shared with Bitcoin.com News, the security firm increased the estimated losses associated with the attack to approximately $20.58 million.
According to Cyvers, the attacker, believed by some observers to be the Lazarus Group, performed more than 150 transactions. The security firm believes the attack vector exploited by the attacker is related to an access control violation.
Commenting on speculation that the North Korean-aligned hacking group is behind the breach, Yosi Hammer, Head of AI at Cyvers, cautioned that attribution is still too early. However, Hammer acknowledged that the attack exhibits characteristics often associated with the Lazarus Group.
“We identified a significant security breach targeting Indodax’s hot wallet, resulting in a loss of over $20.5 million across multiple chains. Our real-time monitoring systems flagged 160 critical red flags at the onset, beginning with a transfer of 660 ETH. The attack exhibited characteristics typical of sophisticated hacking groups, such as the Lazarus Group, known for their rapid asset transfers, access control violations, and multiple swaps,” Hammer stated.
Still, the Cyvers AI head said the security firm now wants to determine whether the money laundering process of this attack matches that of the North Korea-aligned group.
Meanwhile, the security firm shared a breakdown of the losses by chain, with ethereum ( ETH) accounting for more than 60% or $13.3 million of the $20.58 million lost. Losses on Polygon and TRON were identical at $2.5 million each, while losses on Bitcoin are estimated at $1.4 million.
Do you think the Lazarus Group is behind the attack as alleged by some observers? Share your opinion in the comments section below.
