Bitcoin, Ethereum-linked protocols lose $35 million in multiple attacks hours apart
Multiple cryptocurrency protocols, including the Verus-Ethereum bridge, lost over $35 million in a series of attacks due to logic flaws and compromised keys. The Verus bridge was notably exploited using the same vulnerability that caused a previous multi-million dollar loss in May.
Why it matters
These recurring bridge exploits highlight critical security vulnerabilities in decentralized finance infrastructure and the risks of reusing flawed code.
At least three were drained in quick succession in a 6-hour period for a combined total exceeding $35 million, according to blockchain data assessed by CoinDesk and reported by security firms BlockAid and Peckshield.
The run of attacks share a common thread. None broke the underlying cryptography — each was either a logic flaw, where the code ran as written but the rules still let money out, or a compromised key that handed an attacker control it should never have had.
The most damning was blockchain network Verus. Blockaid detected an exploit on the Verus-Ethereum bridge early Thursday that drained about $7.54 million in ether, tokenized bitcoin and a spread of stablecoins.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in