Incidents

BTER lost $1.75 million worth due to a cold wallet hack

Summary # BTER, a China-based digital currency exchange, experienced a significant security breach on February 14, 2015, losing 7,170 bitcoins valued at approximately $1.75 million. The attack targeted the exchange’s cold wallets. The company has suspended its services and is collaborating with law enforcement to investigate the incident. BTER has also offered a 720 BTC reward, approximately $170,000, for assistance in recovering the stolen funds. Attackers # The identity of the hackers who attacked BTER is unknown. ...

LocalBitcoins suffers a security breach, resulting in the loss of 17 BTC

Summary # In January 2015, LocalBitcoins, a peer-to-peer Bitcoin trading platform, experienced a security breach that resulted in the theft of 17 BTC (approximately $3,850 at the time). The breach was caused by a vulnerability in the platform’s forum software, which allowed the attacker to gain access to user accounts. LocalBitcoins quickly responded to the incident by disabling the forum and reimbursing affected users. Attackers # The identity of the attacker remains unknown. ...

Bitstamp hot wallet hacked for 18,866 BTC due to human error

Summary # During the events that unfolded between November 2014 and February 2015, an unknown attacker targeted Bitstamp employees through phishing messages and exploiting compromised accounts to steal the hot wallet file. During the attack, 18,866 BTC ($6.7 million adjusted for inflation) were stolen. Bitstamp suspended trading, notified customers, and eventually compensated them for their losses. The security failure stemmed from employees falling prey to social engineering attacks and distributing malware-laden files. ...

Mt. Gox hacked, losing over $450 million worth of Bitcoin

Summary # Between 2011 and 2014, Mt. Gox, once the largest Bitcoin exchange, experienced a series of attacks that ultimately led to its downfall. A combination of transaction malleability attacks, poor security practices, and mismanagement resulted in the loss of approximately 850,000 BTC, valued at over $450 million at the time. As a consequence, Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy, and its CEO, Mark Karpeles, faced legal action. Attackers # The attacker behind the Mt. ...

FTC users lose millions after a 51% attack

Summary # In May 2013, Feathercoin was attacked by a 51% attack that resulted in the loss of millions of dollars. The attack was carried out by an attacker who was able to gain control of more than 51% of the network’s computing power. The attack lasted for several days, during which the attacker was able to reverse transactions that had been completed while they were in control. The attacker was able to reverse transactions and double-spend coins, resulting in a significant loss for Feathercoin users. ...

BTC-e hacked, losing around 4,500 BTC

Summary # In July 2012, BTC-e, a cryptocurrency exchange, experienced a security breach that resulted in the loss of around 4,500 BTC. The hack was enabled by a combination of weak security practices and system vulnerabilities, which allowed the attackers to obtain Liberty Reserve API keys and exploit the deposit algorithm. BTC-e claimed to have compensated affected customers and improved security measures following the attack, resuming normal operations within a few days. ...

Bitcoin7 Hacked, Losing 5000 BTC

Summary # On October 5, 2011, Bitcoin7, a cryptocurrency exchange, suffered a security breach that resulted in the loss of approximately 5,000 BTC. The attack was facilitated by a combination of weak security practices and system vulnerabilities, which allowed the attackers to gain unauthorized access to the exchange’s hot wallet. Bitcoin7 claimed to have compensated affected customers and improved security measures following the attack, resuming normal operations within a few days. ...