Ethereum platform recently experienced an incident with a mailing of phishing letters for more than 35,000 users. Hackers gained access to the supplier of mass mailing services and sent letters containing malicious URLs, which led to a site that used crypto theft of funds. (source)
The attack occurred on the night of June 23, with 35,794 letters sent from the address “Updates@Blog [.] Ethereum.org.” Attackers utilized their list of addresses and added 3,759 addresses exported from the platform’s blog. Only 81 addresses were previously unknown to the attackers.
Each phishing letter contained a message about collaboration with Lido DAO and promised a 6.8% annual interest rate on the laid Ethereum. Recipients were encouraged to visit the site and begin staking by clicking the “Begin Staking” button.
Clicking the link took users to a fake site designed to deceive. If users connected their wallets and signed the transaction, their funds were stolen by the attackers. (source)
In response, the Ethereum security team initiated an investigation to identify the hacker, understand the attack’s purpose, and determine the victims. The attacker was swiftly blocked, preventing further fraudulent mailings.
The platform promptly informed the community on social media, cautioning against malicious letters and advising users not to click the link. Ethereum representatives also added the harmful link to various blocklists, effectively blocking it for most users.
Analysis of transactions revealed that none of the recipients of the fraudulent letters fell victim to the attack. As a precaution, Ethereum is implementing additional measures and planning to migrate some email services to other providers.
This incident underscores the importance of constant vigilance in the realm of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Despite technological advances and platform decentralization, the human element remains crucial for security. The rapid response of the Ethereum team and user vigilance averted potential losses, highlighting that community education and timely information are potent tools against cybercrime.