Wormhole token bridge loses $321M in largest hack so far in 2022

2 years ago

The Wormhole token span experienced a information exploit today, resulting successful the nonaccomplishment of 120,000 wETH tokens ($321 million) from the platform.

Wormhole is simply a token span that allows users to nonstop and person crypto betwixt Ethereum, Solana, BSC, Polygon, Avalanche, Oasis, and Terra without the usage of a centralized speech (CEX). This is the largest crypto hack of 2022 truthful acold and the 2nd largest DeFi hack to date. The Wormhole squad has offered a $10M bug bounty for the instrumentality of the funds.

The hack took spot connected the Solana broadside of the span and determination are fears Wormhole’s span to Terra could beryllium likewise vulnerable.

The Wormhole squad has assured the assemblage that its ETH proviso would beryllium replenished to “ensure wETH is backed 1:1,” but determination is nary connection yet connected wherever those funds volition travel from oregon when.

The wormhole web was exploited for 120k wETH.

ETH volition beryllium added implicit the adjacent hours to guarantee wETH is backed 1:1. More details to travel shortly.

We are moving to get the web backmost up quickly. Thanks for your patience.

— Wormhole (@wormholecrypto) February 2, 2022

The hack took spot astatine 6:24pm UTC connected Feb. 2. The attacker minted 120,000 wETH (WETH) connected Solana, past redeemed 93,750 WETH for ETH worthy $254 cardinal onto the Ethereum web astatine 6:28pm UTC. The hacker has since utilized immoderate funds to bargain SportX (SX), Meta Capital (MCAP), Finally Usable Crypto Karma (FUCK), and Bored Ape Yacht Club Token (APE).

The remaining WETH was swapped for SOL and USDC connected Solana. The hacker’s Solana wallet presently holds 432,662 SOL ($44 million).

No different assets oregon chains served by Wormhole person been reported affected, but smart declaration auditing steadfast Certik said successful a study contiguous that “It is imaginable that Wormhole’s span to the Terra blockchain shares the aforesaid vulnerability arsenic their Solana bridge.”

The Wormhole squad contacted the hacker done their Ethereum code to offered to fto the hacker support $10 cardinal worthy of funds stolen if the remaining funds are returned.

“This is the Wormhole Deployer: We noticed you were capable to exploit the Solana VAA verification and mint tokens. We’d similar to connection you a whitehat agreement, and contiguous you a bug bounty of $10 cardinal for exploit details, and returning the wETH you’ve minted. You tin scope retired to america astatine [email protected]

As of the clip of writing, wETH tokens sent crossed the span are not yet redeemable portion the Wormhole squad attempts to hole the exploit.

This is the 2nd astute declaration exploit connected a token span successful a week. On Jan. 28, Qubit Finance’s QBridge was exploited for $80 cardinal connected BSC. It is besides reminiscent of the Poly Network hack past August wherein $610 cardinal successful crypto was stolen disconnected the platform. In that case, astir each of the funds were returned by the whitehat hacker.

Related: $2.5B successful stolen BTC from Bitfinex hack awakens

The frequence of astute declaration hacks connected token bridges serves to validate Vitalik Buterin’s Jan. 7 warning that determination are “fundamental information limits of bridges.” The Ethereum co-founder’s admonition was wrong the discourse of a 51% onslaught connected Ethereum, but his proposal was well-timed arsenic helium pointed retired the wide vulnerability evident connected bridges that nonstop tokens crossed layer-1 blockchains.

View source