North Korean Hackers Linked to $305 Million DMM Bitcoin Heist, Authorities Confirm - 1

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North Korean Hackers Linked to $305 Million DMM Bitcoin Heist, Authorities Confirm

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

The FBI, Japan’s National Police Agency, and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center have identified North Korean-linked hackers as the orchestrators of a $305 million cyberattack on Japanese cryptocurrency exchange DMM Bitcoin in May 2024.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • Attack attributed to TraderTraitor, active since 2020, targeting Web3 companies.
  • Hack stemmed from a LinkedIn-based social engineering attack on Ginco employees.
  • Stolen crypto laundered through CoinJoin Mixer and Cambodian HuiOne Guarantee.

A joint statement issued on December 23 attributes the breach to the TraderTraitor threat group, also known as Jade Sleet, UNC4899, and Slow Pisces.

Hacker News explains that TraderTraitor, active since at least 2020, is known for targeting Web3 companies through malware-laced cryptocurrency apps.The group often employs job-themed social engineering campaigns or pretends to collaborate on GitHub projects to deploy malicious npm packages and facilitate theft.

The authorities revealed that the DMM Bitcoin breach originated from a social engineering attack on Ginco, a Japanese crypto wallet software company. In March, a North Korean operative posing as a LinkedIn recruiter shared a malicious Python script disguised as a pre-employment test with a Ginco employee.

When the employee copied the script to their personal GitHub account, it exposed sensitive session cookie data, enabling the hacker to impersonate the employee and infiltrate Ginco’s communication system.

By May, the threat actor used their access to manipulate a legitimate transaction request from a DMM Bitcoin employee, ultimately stealing 4,502.9 BTC, valued at $305 million.

Blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis corroborated the findings, explaining how the attackers exploited infrastructure vulnerabilities to siphon funds.

They laundered the stolen cryptocurrency through intermediary addresses, a Bitcoin CoinJoin Mixing Service, and bridging services before transferring it to HuiOne Guarantee, an online marketplace linked to Cambodia’s HuiOne Group, a known facilitator of cybercrimes.

Finance Feeds reports that DMM Bitcoin has announced plans to cease operations, reaching an agreement with SBI VC Trade, the cryptocurrency division of Japanese financial giant SBI Group, to transfer its assets and customer accounts by March 2025.

Finance Feeds further notes that DMM Bitcoin clarified that while custodial assets are being transferred to SBI, leveraged trading positions will not be included. Customers must settle all open positions before the handover. The exchange confirmed it will shut down once the transfer is complete.

This disclosure underscores ongoing cybersecurity risks in the Web3 sector, with TraderTraitor remaining a persistent threat targeting the global cryptocurrency landscape.

Epic Games Releases Indie Game Dredge For Free For A Limited Time - 2

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Epic Games Releases Indie Game Dredge For Free For A Limited Time

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

The American video game company Epic Games released the popular indie game Dredge for free on its Epic Games Store for just 24 hours—the usual price of the game is $24.99 . The giveaway, part of the company’s holiday event, expires at 11:00 AM EST today.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • Epic Games has released the popular single-player game Dredge for free until 11:00 AM EST on December 25.
  • The game, launched in 2023, was nominated for “Best Indie Game” in multiple awards.
  • In Dredge , players must captain a fishing boat, sell their catches, complete quests, and explore mysterious islands.

According to Vice , the single-player fishing game, launched in 2023, was nominated for “Best Indie Game” in multiple awards and had a very positive reception in the market.

Dredge was developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team17, and is available on multiple platforms—Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Windows, Mac, and more.

In the game, players have to explore remote and mysterious islands on a fishing boat, sell their catches, complete quests, and navigate dangerous waters.

PCgamer described the game as “a fantastic fishing game with a sinister mystery lurking in its depths,” in a review published in March last year. The publication also named Dredge as Best Setting in its Game of the Year Awards 2023.

Players have left positive reviews on multiple platforms including its trailer on YouTube.

“I’ve recently started playing Dredge and I’ve quickly fallen in love with it. Love the aesthetics and vibe of the game, and the fishing is really fun. Thanks for your hard work and dedication!” wrote one user.

Epic Games has been working on several marketing strategies to stay relevant in the market while dealing with lawsuits against Samsung and Google for anti-competitive practices. A few days ago, the American videogame company announced a new partnership with Telefónica to pre-install the Epic Games Store app on Android devices.