The attack exhibits similarities to other exploits connected to North Korean hackers.
An exploit bearing similarities to other North Korean hacks has resulted in roughly $21 million being stolen from a major Japanese financial firm, according to online sleuth ZachXBT.
In a post on Wednesday, ZachXBT said that on Sept. 24, “addresses linked to” SBI Crypto, a subsidiary of SBI Group, had Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Bitcoin Cash worth approximately $21 million extracted and then deposited to Tornado Cash.
The attack exhibits similarities to other exploits connected to North Korean hackers, ZachXBT said. Blockchain security firm Cyvers helped with the investigation, they added.
SBI Group didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
ZachXBT is one of the most prolific crypto sleuths, famous for identifying instances of people and firms losing funds due to illicit activity. In June, ZachXBT said the Iranian cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex appeared to have been exploited for over $80 million across Tron and EVM-compatible chains.
Earlier this year, Arkham Intelligence said Lazarus Group, widely believed to be sponsored by North Korea, hacked Bybit for over $1.5 billion, citing information provided by ZachXBT.
Tornado Cash has long been scrutinized for being a platform where hackers can launder stolen funds. In 2023, Roman Storm was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and sanctions violations for operating Tornado Cash. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Tornado Cash in August 2022.
