The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has claimed that the notorious North Korean-funded hacker group Lazarus Group is responsible for the recent attack on cryptocurrency sports betting and casino platform Stake.
The hack caused the gambling company to lose more than $41 million worth of crypto assets.
Lazarus Group Behind Equity Hack
In a press release published on September 6, 2023, the FBI stated that it had investigated the Stake hack and revealed the Lazarus Group as the entity behind it. The agency also listed several cryptocurrency wallet addresses where the Lazarus Group sent the stolen crypto funds.
“Private sector entities are encouraged to review previously issued cybersecurity advisories regarding TraderTraitor and to examine blockchain data associated with the aforementioned virtual currency addresses and to be wary of transactions made directly to or originating from these addresses.”
Stake became the latest victim of a cryptocurrency-related hack after attackers stole millions of dollars from its platform on September 4. Web3 security firm Cyvers first detected “multiple suspicious transactions” on Stake, with data showing that attackers moved around $16 million worth of ETH and other stablecoins from the gambling company.
Hackers have reportedly stolen another $25.6 million on Polygon and Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Chain Detective noted. Following disclosure by security experts, Stake confirmed the attack, saying there were unauthorized transactions on its Ethereum and BSC hot wallets, while assuring users that their funds are safe.
Blockchain security company Boesin said the total amount of stolen funds was $41.35 million, of which $15.7 million was stolen on Ethereum, $7.8 million was stolen on Polygon, and $17.8 million was stolen on BSC.
A few hours after the hack, Stake announced that deposits and withdrawals for all currencies on the platform had returned to normal.
Lazarus Group Continues to Wreak Havoc on Cryptocurrency Companies
The Lazarus Group has been linked to some of the largest hacks in the cryptocurrency industry. According to the FBI, North Korean hackers have stolen $200 million worth of cryptocurrency as of 2023.
As previously reported by CryptoPotato, Estonian crypto payment platform CoinPaid suspected that Lazarus Group stole $37.3 million in funds on its platform on July 22. The company also stated that the hacker group studied CoinPaid for six months before launching an attack on the platform.
In August, the FBI issued a notice stating that the Lazarus Group may sell 1,580 BTC (worth nearly $41 million at current prices) stored in 6 different Bitcoin wallet addresses. #FBI #Lazarus
