HackerAlert

Alex Protocol, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform for Bitcoin on the Stacks blockchain, suffered an exploit on June 6, resulting in losses of crypto assets worth $8.3 million.

In an announcement on X, Alex Protocol stated that the breach was caused by a vulnerability in its self-listing verification logic. The attacker exploited the flaw to drain liquidity from various asset funds.

The Bitcoin DeFi platform stated that the attackers stole approximately 8.4 million Stacks tokens ($STX ), 21.85 Stacks Bitcoin ($BTC ), 149,850 in $USDC .

Tensions are rising again on the crypto scene. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a new legal battle—this time against North Korean IT workers who allegedly infiltrated American companies using fake identities and obtained millions in cryptocurrencies. These funds were reportedly funneled back to North Korea to finance its weapons programs.
🔹 On Thursday, the DOJ announced it had filed a civil forfeiture complaint for $7.74 million in cryptocurrency. The funds have already been "frozen and seized" by U.S. authorities. The crypto assets are allegedly tied to Sim Hyon Sop, a representative of North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank.

🎭 Fraudulent IT Workers and Digital Money Laundering
According to the DOJ, North Korea has long exploited the international remote IT workforce and cryptocurrency ecosystem to evade U.S. sanctions. The FBI investigation reportedly uncovered a large-scale operation where North Korean workers, using fake or stolen American identities, were hired by unsuspecting U.S. companies. Their salaries were often paid in stablecoins like USDC and USDT.
To disguise the origin of the funds and send them back to North Korea, the workers allegedly used tactics such as:
🔹 Fake accounts and identities

🔹 Microtransactions

🔹 Chain-hopping (switching between blockchains)

🔹 Hiding value in NFTs

🔹 Using U.S.-based accounts to appear legitimate

🔹 Crypto mixing services

💬 DOJ Claims vs. Geopolitical Reality
“North Korea has for years exploited global remote IT contract work and cryptocurrency to evade U.S. sanctions and fund its weapons programs,” stated Sue J. Bai, DOJ’s head of national security. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro added:
“In other countries, crime may pay—but not here. We’ll stop your scheme, hit back, and seize everything you illegally earned.”
💥 Critics, however, point to a double standard. While the U.S. cracks down on so-called “enemies,” it has itself directed hundreds of millions in crypto to Ukraine in recent years—including for lethal weaponry. Billions in fiat have also been funneled to the Israeli military, while civilians in Gaza face displacement and destruction.

🧨 Ethics vs. Geopolitical Power
The case once again raises uncomfortable questions. Who has the “right” to use crypto, and for what purpose? Is legality determined by ethics—or by geopolitical allegiance? The DOJ concludes:
“This forfeiture follows two federal indictments against Sim, accusing him of conspiring (1) with North Korean IT workers to generate revenue through illegal employment in companies across the U.S. and abroad, and (2) with OTC crypto traders to use stolen funds to purchase goods for North Korea.”
This situation reveals a complex game of digital masks, economic sanctions, and geopolitical theater—where ethics often vanish in the shadow of state power.

#HackerAlert , #northkorea , #CryptoCrime , #CyberSecurity , #CryptoNewss

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Notice:
,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“

Renowned blockchain investigator ZachXBT has uncovered new links pointing to North Korean hackers, who reportedly used cross-chain bridge technology to disguise the movement of stolen funds from the Bybit exchange. This revelation has sparked concern across the crypto community and reignited discussions about vulnerabilities in blockchain security infrastructure.

🌉 Cross-Chain Bridges: A Tool for Users, a Weapon for Hackers
According to the findings, the stolen assets were swiftly moved across different blockchains, making them significantly harder to trace. The cross-chain bridges, meant to enhance interoperability and user experience, are now proving to be prime targets and tools for sophisticated cybercriminals.
ZachXBT emphasized that North Korean-linked groups are effectively exploiting these technologies to launder funds. As a result, tracking transactions becomes far more difficult, complicating efforts for investigators and exchange security teams alike.

⚠️ Community Response: Call for Greater Oversight and Coordination
The crypto community reacted quickly. Many experts warn that unless a coordinated, cross-chain security strategy is implemented, such attacks will likely continue.
🔹 Calls are being made to developers, exchanges, and regulators alike.

🔹 The goal is to strengthen defenses against abuse of emerging technologies.

🔹 Discussions include enhanced detection systems, data-sharing protocols, and ecosystem-wide cooperation.

🧨 North Korea’s Cyber Legacy: Over $2 Billion in Illicit Gains
North Korea has long been accused of conducting large-scale cyber operations targeting financial and crypto platforms. Estimates suggest the regime has generated over $2 billion through various hacking campaigns, including attacks on exchanges and DeFi projects.

📈 Crypto Market Still Sees Growth
While investigations continue, the broader crypto market shows positive momentum. Ethereum (ETH) is currently trading at $2,608.42, with a market cap exceeding $314 billion. Over the last 24 hours, trading volume surged 51.51%, while ETH’s price rose +4.71% over the last day and +44.80% over the past 60 days.

🔍 Conclusion: Cross-Chain Infrastructure Under Fire
This latest incident highlights how technologies designed to enhance blockchain interoperability are also opening new attack vectors. Preventing abuse of these bridges will be crucial in shaping the next generation of crypto security standards.

#NorthKoreaHackers , #cryptohacks , #HackerAlert , #CyberSecurity , #CryptoNewss

Stay one step ahead – follow our profile and stay informed about everything important in the world of cryptocurrencies!
Notice:
,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“

Inside the Cyber Jungle: How a North Korean Hacker Group Slipped Up and Got Exposed!

A major crypto hack was narrowly avoided when a sharp-eyed BitMEX employee spotted something suspicious in a LinkedIn message. The attacker posed as a Web3 developer with an “NFT marketplace project” and invited the employee to review some code on GitHub. But things didn’t feel right 😒. Turns out, this was no ordinary coder — it was the notorious Lazarus Group, a state-sponsored hacking collective tied to North Korea 🇰🇵. These hackers are believed to be behind major breaches of exchanges like Bybit, WazirX, and Stake.

BitMEX’s security team jumped into action 🕵️‍♂️ and uncovered malicious code hidden in the GitHub files. The sneaky software was designed to steal login details, IP addresses, and even geolocation data from the victim’s device. Even scarier — it was connected to a public database on Supabase, which stored details of already-compromised machines 😨. Thanks to a common mistake in setting up permissions, BitMEX was able to peek into this hacker logbook.

That’s when the real twist happened 🤯! While analyzing the logs, BitMEX discovered something huge: one of the hackers had accidentally revealed their real IP address — traced back to a residential internet connection in China, not a VPN. This major blunder exposed not just the attacker’s possible location, but also hinted at how these operations are run. They even noticed “office hours” in the hackers' activity logs — working from 5PM to 10PM Pyongyang time. So much for stealth mode! 🕗💻

This incident shows how even the most dangerous hackers can trip over their own wires 😅. While Lazarus often starts with simple phishing scams, their back-end systems can be surprisingly advanced. But one small slip-up was all BitMEX needed to unmask them and build a live monitoring system that tracks new infections 🔍. With over 850 records logged so far, this might just be the breakthrough needed to strike back at one of crypto’s most infamous villains.

#HackerAlert #LazarusGroup #BinanceAlphaAlert #MarketPullback #BTCPrediction $BTC $ETH

Hackers from Lazarus Group Target Crypto Developers
The notorious North Korean hacking syndicate, Lazarus Group, has intensified its cyber warfare against the cryptocurrency sector, now setting its sights on developers.
According to the latest security investigation, Lazarus Group has infiltrated npm, one of the most widely used software package repositories for JavaScript developers. By leveraging typosquatting tactics (deliberately mimicking legitimate package names), they have uploaded malicious versions of popular npm packages.
These infected packages deploy a stealthy malware called BeaverTail, which can:

🔹 Steal developer login credentials.

🔹 Extract saved browser passwords.

🔹 Access sensitive wallet data, including Solana and Exodus wallets.
Security researchers discovered that all stolen data is transmitted to a hardcoded command-and-control (C2) server, a known Lazarus Group tactic for discreetly exfiltrating sensitive information.
According to Kirill Boychenko, a cybersecurity threat analyst, this method poses a severe risk to developers working on financial and blockchain applications.
Lazarus Group Behind the $1.46 Billion Bybit Hack
Beyond attacking the developer ecosystem, Lazarus Group has been linked to one of the largest crypto exchange hacks in history.
On February 21, 2025, hackers associated with the group successfully infiltrated Bybit, one of the world’s leading crypto exchanges, making off with an estimated $1.46 billion in digital assets.
How Did the Hackers Pull It Off?
🔹 They exploited a security flaw within Bybit’s infrastructure.

🔹 Manipulated Ethereum smart contract logic.

🔹 Redirected funds to their controlled wallets.

Bybit’s CEO, Ben Zhou, confirmed that despite immediate intervention, 20% of the stolen funds had already been laundered through mixing services, making them nearly impossible to trace.
North Korea Funds Its Nuclear Program with Stolen Crypto
A 2024 UN report revealed that North Korean cybercriminals were responsible for over 35% of all global crypto thefts in the past year, accumulating over $1 billion in stolen digital assets.
Lazarus Group is not just a cybercrime syndicate but also a geopolitical threat, as the stolen funds are reportedly being directly funneled into national military and defense programs.
Developers Are Under Attack – How to Stay Safe
With rising cyber threats, security experts are urging developers and crypto users to adopt stricter security measures to protect themselves from Lazarus Group’s attacks. Key recommendations include:

🔹 Verifying the authenticity of software packages before installation.

🔹 Using AI-powered tools like Socket AI Scanner to detect anomalies.

🔹 Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) for wallets, exchanges, and developer accounts.

🔹 Monitoring network activity and blocking suspicious traffic.

Bybit Launches Bounty for Stolen Funds Recovery
Following the Bybit hack, the exchange has introduced a Recovery Bounty Program, offering up to 10% of recovered funds as a reward for anyone who helps track the stolen assets.
The Cyber War on Crypto Is Just Beginning
As Lazarus Group continues evolving its attack methods, it is clear that the war between hackers and the crypto industry is far from over.
Developers, exchanges, and investors must remain vigilant, strengthening security defenses to prevent becoming the next victims of these sophisticated cyberattacks.

#CryptoSecurity , #HackerAlert , #BybitHack , #CyberSecurity , #CryptoNewss

Stay one step ahead – follow our profile and stay informed about everything important in the world of cryptocurrencies!
Notice:
,,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“

North Korea, with the help of the hacking group Lazarus Group, has become one of the largest holders of BTC in the world. As of today, the hackers own approximately 13,518 BTC, equivalent to 1.16 billion dollars. This is twice as much as El Salvador holds — a country that officially recognized Bitcoin as its national currency.