Hackers Steal $8M+ from BitKeep Users Using Hijacked APK App

Early on Monday, December 26th, BitKeep revealed on its official Telegram channel that the recent hack of its wallets was due to the hijacking of 7.2.9 APK. BitKeep also reports that the app versions downloaded from the App Store and the Play Store are safe.

BitKeep Hacked via Compromised APK Package

On December 26th, BitKeep warned its users that the theft was mainly the result of compromised unofficial APK package downloads. The company also stated that the official versions of their app on App Store and Play Store and safe. The firm urged its users to transfer their funds to its Chrome wallet, or to its walled downloaded from official stores in order to keep their assets safe.

Dear BitKeepers, today’s currency theft incident is mainly due to the hijacking of 7.2.9 APK. If you are using the APK version, it is very likely that it is not the official version. So please transfer the funds to BitKeep Chrome plug-in wallet as soon as possible, or the app downloaded from the official store, and create a new wallet address and keep your mnemonic phrase safe.

Blockchain security services firm PeckShieldAlert announced that an estimated $8 million worth of BitKeep users’ funds were stolen in a recent hack. According to the tweet, the assets stolen were primarily in BNB, USDT, DAI, and Ethereum.

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Crypto Hacks in 2022

Months before its end, 2022 was already named a record-breaking year when it comes to cryptocurrency-related hacks, and hackers stole $1.9 billion in its first half alone. October was a particularly damaging month for the industry with multiple high-profile attacks occurring in a relatively short timeframe.

Already on October 6th, Binance announced it was temporarily freezing trading on its platform to contain a hack that was at the time feared to have taken $600 million. Just weeks later, Moola Market also halted trading after identifying an attack worth $8.4 million.

November was also a damaging month both due to the collapse of FTX, and a hack of the firm that occurred shortly after its bankruptcy was announced. Not long after, a court filing revealed that the exchange’s new leadership had strong suspicions that Bahaman regulators were behind the attack. The matter made an already messy situation even worse, and, by early December. it was reported that the company hired forensic investigators to help locate assets missing both due to the hack, and poor record-keeping practices under SBF’s leadership.

Also in early December, DeFi protocol Ankr pledged to reimburse its users after it became the target of an attack that drained $5 million. Later, the company revealed that a former employee was behind the hack and promised to improve its security practices.

Do you think hijacked cryptocurrency apps will become a regular tool for hackers? Let us know in the comments below.