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2024-12-24
The FBI has confirmed that the North Korean hacking group “TraderTraitor” was responsible for the theft of $308 million in cryptocurrency from the Japanese exchange DMM Bitcoin in May 2024.
The attack began in late March when a TraderTraitor actor, posing as a legitimate recruiter on LinkedIn, approached a Ginco employee. Ginco is a Japanese enterprise cryptocurrency wallet software company. The hacker sent the employee a job proposal that included a pre-employment test on GitHub, a tactic frequently used by North Korean threat groups.
The employee received malicious Python code to execute as part of the test. This code compromised the employee’s computer, granting TraderTraitor access to Ginco’s systems. From there, the hackers moved laterally to infiltrate DMM Bitcoin.
By exploiting session cookie information, the attackers impersonated the compromised Ginco employee and gained access to Ginco’s unencrypted communication system. In late May, they manipulated a legitimate transaction request from a DMM employee, resulting in the theft of 4,502.9 Bitcoin.
TraderTraitor has been active since 2022, targeting the blockchain space with fake apps and social engineering campaigns. In 2023, GitHub issued a warning about the group’s activities, and the FBI alerted the public to their attempts to cash out stolen cryptocurrency.
What Undercode Says:
This attack highlights the evolving tactics of North Korean cybercriminals. By leveraging social engineering techniques like LinkedIn recruitment scams and GitHub-based attacks, they are able to gain initial access to target systems.
The use of malicious code within a seemingly legitimate job application demonstrates a high level of sophistication and a focus on exploiting human vulnerabilities. This technique allows attackers to bypass traditional security measures and gain a foothold within targeted organizations.
Furthermore, the exploitation of session cookies highlights the importance of strong authentication and authorization mechanisms. Unencrypted communications systems also pose significant security risks, as they can be easily intercepted and exploited by malicious actors.
This incident underscores the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures within the cryptocurrency sector. Organizations need to implement strong access controls, regularly update their security software, and educate employees on the risks of social engineering attacks.
Additionally, robust blockchain analysis and threat intelligence sharing are crucial for identifying and mitigating threats posed by North Korean state-sponsored actors.
References:
Reported By: Bleepingcomputer.com
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