Crypto Exchange WazirX Hit by Cyber Attack, $230 Million Stolen
Late Thursday, WazirX confirmed that its cryptocurrency exchange was the target of a cyber attack, resulting in the theft of over $230 million from one of its multisig wallets.
The preliminary investigation reveals that the compromised wallet was managed using Liminal’s digital asset custody and wallet infrastructure starting February 2023. WazirX indicated that the attackers took advantage of a discrepancy between the data shown on Liminal’s interface and the actual transaction details.
The company reported in a blog post that during the attack, there was a mismatch between the information displayed and what was authorized, suggesting that the payload was altered to transfer wallet control to the attackers.
WazirX is actively working to trace and recover the stolen funds, having successfully blocked several deposits and reached out to affected wallets for recovery.
Liminal Custody, which provided the wallet infrastructure, stated that its platform was not compromised. The company is assisting WazirX with its investigation and confirmed that all malicious transactions were made from outside the Liminal ecosystem.
Liminal emphasized that its platform and infrastructure remain secure, and all WazirX wallets on Liminal continue to be protected.
According to Elliptic, North Korean hackers are suspected to be behind the breach. The stolen assets include $96.7 million in Shiba Inu, $52.6 million in Ether, $11 million in Matic, and $7.6 million in Pepe.
This incident is one of the largest crypto heists in history, with losses surpassing $200 million. The previous major heist was in March 2022, when North Korean hackers reportedly stole $625 million from the Ronin network.