The FBI has marked Six Bitcoin (BTC) wallets have been linked to the North Korean state-backed hacking group Lazarus. The six wallets contain 1,580 bitcoins worth $40 million and are believed to have been hoarded by various cryptocurrency hackers over the past year.
During its investigation, the FBI discovered that the Lazarus Group transferred approximately 1,580 bitcoins that were linked to multiple cryptocurrency vulnerabilities. These funds are currently located in the following Bitcoin addresses:
- 3LU8wRu4ZnXP4UM8Yo6kkTiGHM9BubgyiG
- 39idqitN9tYNmq3wYanwg3MitFB5TZCjWu
- 3AAUBbKJorvNhEUFhKnep9YTwmZECxE4Nk
- 3PjNaSeP8GzLjGeu51JR19Q2Lu8W2Te9oc
- 3NbdrezMzAVVfXv5MTQJn4hWqKhYCTCJoB
- 34VXKa5upLWVYMXmgid6bFM4BaQXHxSUoL
The FBI has warned cryptocurrency firms that the flow of funds linked to the notorious North Korean hacking group may indicate they are seeking a sale. The federal investigators advised cryptocurrency companies to keep an eye on the six bitcoin wallets and use blockchain data to track any movement of funds.
“Private sector entities should examine the blockchain data associated with these addresses and exercise vigilance to prevent transactions being made directly with or derived from these addresses.”
The North Korean hacking group has been active in multiple cryptocurrency-related attacks over the years, stealing billions of dollars worth of crypto assets. A recent report by TRM Labs revealed that North Korean hackers have stolen nearly $2 billion in cryptocurrency since 2018. The group is most active in 2022, having stolen nearly $1 billion worth of crypto assets last year alone.
2022 has seen some of the biggest decentralized finance (DeFi) breaches, with Lazarus Group believed to be behind Harmony’s Horizon bridge and Sky Mavis’ $625 million hack of Ethereum sidechain Ronin Bridge last year.
related: ‘No one can stop them’ – North Korea cyber threat rises
Although crypto-related attacks due to code vulnerabilities in platforms and protocols have increased due to the more sophisticated methods used by these hackers, blockchain technology still makes it difficult for attackers to launder or transfer their ill-gotten gains because Public ledgers make it possible to track the movement of funds.
Law enforcement agencies such as the FBI have worked with cryptocurrency companies on several occasions in the past to freeze funds related to such breaches. In early February, Huobi and Binance froze $1.4 million worth of North Korea-linked crypto assets. Likewise, $63 million worth of assets related to the Harmony Bridge hack were also frozen by cryptocurrency exchanges.
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