A well-known provider of cryptocurrency wallets, Atomic Wallet, has recently disclosed that some of its users have fallen victim to a cyber attack, resulting in significant financial losses estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.
Atomic Wallet prides itself on offering a decentralized wallet that supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies, totaling over 500 coins and tokens. The platform’s primary goal is to provide users with a convenient and secure way to manage their digital assets. However, reports began surfacing over the weekend of compromised customer wallets, signaling a potential security breach.
In a tweet posted on Monday morning, Atomic Wallet acknowledged that less than 1% of its monthly active users have been affected by the breach, with the most recent unauthorized transaction taking place more than 40 hours ago. The company reassured users that a thorough security investigation is currently underway, and they are collaborating with major exchanges and blockchain analytics firms to track and block the stolen funds.
According to blockchain investigator @zackxbt, the total amount stolen from Atomic Wallet users stands at approximately $35 million. The largest individual loss reported was close to $8 million, with the top five victims collectively losing nearly half of the total amount. Over 100 customer wallets have been identified as impacted by the attacks, prompting Atomic Wallet to urge affected users to share their wallet addresses and transaction details to assist in the investigation.
Some researchers have pointed out potential vulnerabilities in Atomic Wallet’s application, suggesting that malicious actors may have exploited security weaknesses within the platform. @tayvano_ highlighted the possibility of a malicious version of the application being distributed or user keys being inadvertently logged on the company’s servers and accessed by unauthorized individuals. The earliest reported unauthorized access to user wallets dates back to Friday, June 2nd.
In a disturbing turn of events, opportunistic scammers have also taken advantage of the situation by impersonating Atomic Wallet on social media platforms. Fake accounts claiming to be affiliated with Atomic Wallet are luring compromised users with promises of returning their stolen funds. One such scam account even displays a Twitter verification badge, misleading users into believing it is a legitimate source of information.
As Atomic Wallet continues to investigate the security breach and assist affected users in recovering their funds, it serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with storing digital assets in online wallets. Users are advised to exercise caution and implement additional security measures to safeguard their cryptocurrencies from potential threats.