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Cybercriminals threatened the exchange to destroy the assets of its clients if it did not pay the ransom.
North Korean hackers, who broke into the South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb in June 2017, demanded 20 billion won ($16 million) from it after the attack. According to the South Korean publication Maeil Kyungjae, the attackers not only gained access to the personal data and money of 30 thousand Bithumb users, but also demanded that the exchange pay a ransom. Moreover, the attackers sent its employees fake job applications with embedded malicious code. This occurred during a period when Bithumb was actively hiring new employees in the same year 2017.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), together with law enforcement agencies in South Korea, conducted a corresponding investigation in this case.
As previously reported by SecurityLab, hackers stole $31.5 million in cryptocurrency from Bithumb. Now it has become known that the attackers left a note demanding a ransom, in which they threatened the exchange to " sell or destroy the virtual currency of customers if a certain amount is not paid."
The Lazarus cybercrime group, linked by the US authorities to North Korean intelligence services, is believed to be behind the attack. In February 2021, the US Department of Justice declassified new charges against three hackers funded by the DPRK government. As reported by the Ministry of Justice, they are accused of stealing $1.3 billion (including in cryptocurrency) from financial organizations and companies.
North Korean hackers, who broke into the South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb in June 2017, demanded 20 billion won ($16 million) from it after the attack. According to the South Korean publication Maeil Kyungjae, the attackers not only gained access to the personal data and money of 30 thousand Bithumb users, but also demanded that the exchange pay a ransom. Moreover, the attackers sent its employees fake job applications with embedded malicious code. This occurred during a period when Bithumb was actively hiring new employees in the same year 2017.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), together with law enforcement agencies in South Korea, conducted a corresponding investigation in this case.
As previously reported by SecurityLab, hackers stole $31.5 million in cryptocurrency from Bithumb. Now it has become known that the attackers left a note demanding a ransom, in which they threatened the exchange to " sell or destroy the virtual currency of customers if a certain amount is not paid."
The Lazarus cybercrime group, linked by the US authorities to North Korean intelligence services, is believed to be behind the attack. In February 2021, the US Department of Justice declassified new charges against three hackers funded by the DPRK government. As reported by the Ministry of Justice, they are accused of stealing $1.3 billion (including in cryptocurrency) from financial organizations and companies.