Hackers used Tornado Cash to launder money, costing Prism Finance $11.6 million

Prisma Finance was the victim of an attack targeting its DeFi platform, netting hackers $11.6 million in the middle of a complex cyberspace. Security firm PackShield has revealed that the perpetrators of this massive financial breach began laundering a significant portion of the $6.5 million in stolen assets using the Tornado Cash cryptocurrency using Ethereum (ETH).

A comprehensive analysis of the hack

The financial prism was attacked with incredible speed and precision, resulting in the theft of many assets from its protocol. This includes mkUSD and encrypted stET. Such incidents spell disaster for the DeFi industry, which has recently become more vulnerable to cybercriminals. According to the official X report released by Prisma Finance, they have temporarily suspended all activities in their protocol as a measure to prevent further losses while securing further funding. Despite this serious attack, stablecoin mkUSD is safe and risk-free based on the guarantee provided by the platform administrator.

According to PeckShield’s research, cybercriminals used Tornado Cash to launder $2.7 million and $3.8 million in two major transactions. This approach creates challenges for security firms and law enforcement agencies trying to track crypto-mixers as a tool to hide the source of stolen funds.

Reprinted: Involvement of crypto mixers in cybercrime activities

Tornado Cash and other cryptocurrencies are becoming more popular in the cyber world due to their ability to mix illicit funds with legitimate funds. This leads to obstacles in finding and retrieving stolen property and thus hinders trade. Illegal organizations such as North Korean cyber operatives find comfort in this method as it helps them profit from illegal activities such as cyber theft.

Industry influence and impact

The Financial Prism breach is a clear indication of the weaknesses inherent in the DeFi infrastructure. In the first quarter of 2024, Immunify said it lost a total of $336 million in cryptocurrency from fraud and fraud alone. This alarming landscape underscores the need to protect those implemented by DeFi channels and be vigilant to avoid vulnerable situations.

Prisma Finance has promised to conduct an investigation after the attack to reveal the details of its benefits and take action to prevent future incidents. In addition, efforts will be made by the platform to recover the identified funds; However, hackers breaking into crypto mixers can complicate the process considerably.

Conclusion

The Prisma Finance list provides an opportunity to explore key financial challenges for users and platforms, as well as valuable lessons for the entire DeFi industry. As operating in this innovative but fragile space presents many complexities, this event provides important knowledge on how to create a more secure and sustainable future of decentralized financial platforms.