Finance1 min read

Binance co-CEO Richard Teng says hackers used fake job interviews, AI tool to steal $6.3 billion in crypto 108511116

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The breach unfolded over several months, beginning in June when an engineer downloaded malicious software disguised as a developer tool, followed by a September attack involving a fake coding test during a job recruitment interview. Attackers eventually infiltrated internal artificial intelligence tools to access the authorization systems governing cryptocurrency wallet transactions. While the exchange paused specific withdrawals to secure hard-to-find illiquid assets, it has already restored 98% of the missing $6.34 billion using its own reserves.

Key points

  • The multi-stage breach demonstrated sophisticated social engineering that deceived multip…: The multi-stage breach demonstrated sophisticated social engineering that deceived multiple engineers through counterfeit recruitment processes and bogus software tools.
  • Binance instituted temporary withdrawal limitations while navigating the recovery of illi…: Binance instituted temporary withdrawal limitations while navigating the recovery of illiquid assets and overhauling its wallet infrastructure.
  • Major cryptocurrency platforms coordinated defensive measures, with Coinbase proactively…: Major cryptocurrency platforms coordinated defensive measures, with Coinbase proactively halting all digital asset transfers heading toward the compromised wallets.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Binance said hackers used fake job interviews, malicious software and compromised internal AI tools to infiltrate its wallet infrastructure, leading to the record-breaking Oct. 29 cyberattack that resulted in more than $6 billion in assets being stolen from the world's largest crypto exchange.

The attackers "spent months building their way in," Binance co-CEO Richard Teng told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" Tuesday, rejecting suggestions that there was a single point of failure through one employee's laptop.

"In June, [the attackers] set up a fake version of a developer tool and lured one of our engineers to install that," he added. "In September they posed as recruiters and ran a series of job interviews with another engineer, and that ended up in a coding exercise that contained hidden malware designed to evade security ... from there they moved violently through our internal AI tools and obtain[ed] access that breach[ed] the system that authorized our wallet transaction."

He also said Binance has replenished 98% of $6.34 billion in affected assets, and that it is still in the process of purchasing outstanding, more…

Finance