Following a brief period of inactivity, the legendary “Blockchain Bandit Returns with $172M Heistt” has reappeared as the year draws to a close. He has consolidated an astounding 51,000 ETH. Which is estimated to be worth around $172 million in a single multi-signature wallet. On the 30th of December, this move was completed.
The Blockchain Bandit’s $45M Heist
A notable Blockchain Bandit Returns with $172M Heistinvestigator. The name of ZachXBT disclosed in the most recent update that the consolidation originated from ten wallets that have been inactive for almost two years. The last action was detected in January of 2023. The transfer of 470 Bitcoins occurred concurrently with the transfer of Ether.
Between the years 2016 and 2018, the Blockchain Bandit gained notoriety by employing a sneaky method known as “Ethercombing.” By taking advantage of cryptographic flaws, the attacker was able to consistently guess weak private keys. These keys were frequently generated by flawed random number methods or wallets that were not configured properly.
By compromising 732 private keys, the malicious entity was able to steal more than 45,000 ETH across 49,060 transactions. This achievement was made possible by this way. The Bandit took advantage of expected vulnerabilities such as non-random key generation and poorly designed recovery phrases. Despite the fact that brute-forcing private keys is widely considered to be an implausible method due to the vast numerical range of private keys.
Tate-Sponsored Crypto Heists and Laundering
Cybersecurity specialists have pointed out similarities between the attacks and other large-scale crypto thefts, which leads them to believe. That the attacks could have been carried out by state-sponsored actors, likely North Korean hacker organizations. It is common knowledge that these organizations target bitcoin platforms in order to finance illegal activities, including the development of weapons.
Recently, The Blockchain Bandit Returns with $172M Heist has been engaging in activities that. When combined with the utilization of multi-signature wallets, it indicates that preparations are being made to potentially launder. The funds are through mixers or decentralized exchanges in order to conceal their root.
New Tactics in Rising Crypto Cybercrime
This attacker’s resurrection occurs when there is a greater increase in crypto cybercrime. Fraudsters are developing new ways to ensnare targets who are unaware of their vulnerability. At the beginning of this month, it was reported that hackers had taken advantage of fraudulent Zoom meeting connections. In order to target cryptocurrency users and steal sensitive credentials in addition to digital assets. The malware’s code was traced back to Russian-linked operations, and SlowMist discovered that more than one million dollars had been turned into ether.
The spreading of seed words of fake cryptocurrency wallets was the aim of yet another scam that targeted opportunistic criminals. Once the wallets have been accessed, they demand TRX as payment for transaction fees, and they then redirect the cash to con artists. This strategy, which is camouflaged as a beginner’s error, is designed to trick crooks into becoming victims of their own greed, according to Kaspersky, who warns against it.
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