Key takeaways:
- Cyvers, a blockchain analytics platform, has reported that Huobi Global’s HTX cryptocurrency exchange was compromised on September 24.
- The alleged Huobi hot wallet delivered 4,999 Ether, worth about $7.9 million, to an address with no prior history.
Cyvers, a blockchain analytics platform, has reported that Huobi Global’s HTX cryptocurrency exchange was compromised on September 24. The hack has drained $7.9 million worth of cryptocurrency.
The Chinese text was posted as a message to the attacker by a recognized Huobi hot wallet. According to the message, the exchange is aware of the attacker’s identity and has offered to let them keep 5% of the drained funds as a “white-hat bonus,” but only if the attacker returns the other 95%.
The alleged Huobi hot wallet delivered 4,999 Ether, worth about $7.9 million, to an address with no prior history on September 24. The following day, a different wallet that belonged to Huobi delivered a Chinese message to the assailant. According to the translation, it said:
“We have confirmed your true identity. Please return funds to 0x18709E89BD403F470088aBDAcEbE86CC60dda12e. We will provide you with a 5% white hat bonus. This offer is valid for 7 days and ends on October 2, 2023. If you do not return the funds by the deadline, we will request judicial intervention.”
On September 25, Cyvers reported the attack. Blockchain analytics company Arkham Intelligence has identified the wallet that delivered the message as a Huobi hot wallet. According to Cyvers, a Huobi support website lists the wallet as belonging to the exchange and lists it as having sent the message.
Additionally, CyversAlerts’ investigation of HTX Global’s support website revealed some disturbing information. Unexpectedly, the business had moved its hot pocketbook. This action quickly caused a stir and called for more research. It was eventually established that this enormous loss was primarily driven by a breach in one of HTX Global’s hot wallets.
Investor in Huobi Global Justin Sun acknowledged the attack on the morning of September 25, saying:
“HTX has suffered a loss of 5,000 #Eth ($8 million) due to a hacker attack.”
Sun asserted that user funds are secure and exchange operations are now as usual. He contended that HTX has successfully dealt with all connected concerns and adequately compensated for the losses brought on by the attack.
CyversAlerts has previously been at the forefront of such revelations. They revealed a security lapse at CoinEx two weeks ago, where a staggering $70 million was lost. CyversAlerts provided evidence of several questionable transactions in CoinEx’s Ethereum hot wallet. Throughout these transactions, which involved Ethereum, TRON, and Polygon, almost $27.8 million worth of cryptocurrencies were lost.
