Cyber Incident Victim: ETERBASE
Date:
Sep 2020
Location:
Slovakia
Summary
A Slovak cryptocurrency exchange suffered a security breach resulting in the theft of approximately $5.4 million in digital assets from its internet-connected hot wallets. Attackers compromised six wallets containing Bitcoin, Ether, ALGO, Ripple, Tezos, and TRON holdings during the incident. The platform detected but could not prevent the unauthorized transactions, subsequently tracing the stolen funds across blockchains and requesting recipient exchanges to freeze the assets. Operations were temporarily suspended while the company assured users of sufficient reserves to maintain functionality post-incident. Law enforcement agencies were notified of the breach as part of the response efforts.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On September 10, 2020, Slovak cryptocurrency exchange ETERBASE publicly disclosed a security breach resulting in the theft of $5.4 million in digital assets. The Bratislava-based company reported that attackers compromised its internal network and executed unauthorized withdrawals from six cryptocurrency hot wallets dedicated to processing customer transactions. These internet-connected wallets held Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Algorand (ALGO), Ripple (XRP), Tezos (XTZ), and TRON (TRX) reserves. ETERBASE detected the intrusion in progress but stated it could not prevent the outflow of funds. The incident marked a direct compromise of operational infrastructure supporting inter-currency and intra-currency exchange functions.
Following the breach, ETERBASE initiated blockchain monitoring to trace the movement of stolen assets across respective distributed ledgers. The exchange contacted external cryptocurrency platforms where stolen funds were deposited, requesting asset freezes to impede further laundering. All trading and withdrawal activities on ETERBASE's platform were suspended through September 10 while investigations continued. The company assured users of sufficient reserve funds to maintain operations post-incident despite the financial impact. Law enforcement agencies received formal notification of the theft, though specific agencies involved were not disclosed. ETERBASE planned to resume transactional services following the suspension period while continuing recovery efforts focused on asset recovery through blockchain forensics and inter-exchange coordination.