Harmony Protocol Attacker Has Sent 13.1k Ethereum to Tornado Cash in An Attempt to Cover Their Tracks
Key takeaways:
- The Harmony Protocol attacker has started moving stolen Ethereum to cover their tracks.
- The attacker has sent 13,100 Ethereum to the popular mixer, Tornado Cash.
- The team at Harmony Protocol has stated that they are working with the FBI and highly reputable tracing and analysis firms to monitor the movement of funds.
- There is a possibility of the hackers being the infamous Lazarus Group based in North Korea.
The attackers behind this week’s $100 million hack (85,837 Ethereum) on the Harmony Protocol are in the process of moving the stolen funds.
13.1k Ethereum Stolen From the Harmony Protocol has Been Sent to Tornado Cash.
According to the blockchain analytics firm MistTrack, a total of 13,100 Ethereum from the exploit has been sent to the popular mixer of Tornado Cash by the perpetrators of the attack. In addition, the attackers have sent the Ethereum through 131 transactions consisting of 100 Ethereum each.
At the time of writing, the Ethereum address responsible for the attack now has a balance of 49,794 ETH. The exact address had earlier sent 18k Ethereum to two different addresses before the funds were split again and sent to Tornado Cash, as highlighted above.
Harmony Protocol is Working with the FBI and Blockchain Analytics Firms.
In response to the movement of the stolen Ethereum, the team at Harmony Protocol has issued a statement via Twitter explaining that they are aware of the situation. The team is also working ‘with two highly reputable blockchain tracing and analysis partners and collaborating with the FBI as part of an investigation into this criminal act.
The Harmony Protocol Had Offered a $1 Million Bounty.
The Harmony Protocol team has also reiterated that they are committed to securing the project’s ecosystem since the attackers exploited the Horizon bridge using compromised private keys. The team has yet to provide details on the steps they are taking to mitigate any future exploits. But they have so far offered a $1 million bounty for the return of the funds and any information on how the attack happened.
The Attack Appears Similar to the Axie Infinity $610 Million Attack.
As to whom might be responsible for the attack, the team at WuBlockchain has identified similarities of the Harmony Protocol exploit to the $620 million Axie Infinity attack of March. Consequently, the same state-sponsored North Korean Lazarus Hacker Group is likely responsible for the $100 million loss of the Harmony Protocol Horizon Bridge.
~ By John P Njui ~
