Binance traces $6.3B hack to fake job interviews, compromised AI tool
Hackers exploited compromised employee computers and stolen credentials to breach Binance’s wallet infrastructure, according to the exchange’s investigation.
A coding assignment from a prospective employer seemed like an ordinary part of a job interview. Instead, it was one step in a months-long cyberattack that ended with $6.3 billion stolen from Binance, raising questions about how exchanges protect themselves against threats that target their employees.
The attack was part of a coordinated campaign that exploited both human vulnerabilities and internal security systems, according to a postmortem released by Binance on Tuesday. The exchange’s findings detailed how hackers gradually gained access to its wallet infrastructure before the Oct. 29 theft.
According to Binance’s security report, the attack campaign began in June, when an engineer downloaded a tampered software package while setting up an AI coding tool. Although Binance detected the malware and replaced the affected device, the attackers had already gathered information about the exchange’s wallet team.