Atomic Wallet (2023) — Crypto Hack
Partially RecoveredAtomic Wallet users lost over $100M to an unknown vulnerability, with Lazarus Group identified as responsible by blockchain investigators.
Summary
Atomic Wallet users lost over $100M to an unknown vulnerability, with Lazarus Group identified as responsible by blockchain investigators.
How It Was Compromised — Wallet via Private Key Compromise
Over 5,500 Atomic Wallet users lost funds in a series of coordinated thefts. The exact attack vector was never publicly confirmed, but investigators suspect a compromised software update or supply chain attack. Elliptic linked the hack to North Korea's Lazarus Group through on-chain analysis of fund flows.
Fund Flow & Laundering Analysis
Stolen funds routed through Sinbad mixer (a successor to Blender.io, itself a Lazarus-linked mixer). Multiple chains involved: BTC moved through Bitcoin mixers, ETH through Tornado Cash. Some funds converted via centralized exchanges using stolen KYC identities. Approximately $1M frozen by Tether.