Cyber Incident Victim: OpenSea
Date:
May 2022
Location:
United States of America
Summary
OpenSea's Discord channel was compromised, allowing attackers to post fraudulent partnership announcements containing links to a phishing site. The breach was disclosed via the company's support Twitter account, which warned users to avoid clicking any links shared in the channel. The incident heightened the risk of phishing scams targeting the marketplace's community.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On May 6, 2022, OpenSea’s official Discord server was compromised by threat actors. The attackers used the breached channel to post fake announcements claiming partnerships between OpenSea and other projects. These fraudulent messages were accompanied by a screenshot that displayed the false partnership news. The same screenshot also contained a hyperlink directing users to a phishing website. OpenSea shared this screenshot publicly to illustrate the nature of the malicious content. The presence of the link increased the likelihood that unsuspecting users would be redirected to a malicious site.
Later on the same day, OpenSea’s support team posted on its official Twitter account that the Discord server had been breached that Friday morning. In the tweet, the support team warned community members not to click on any links that appeared in the Discord channel. The warning emphasized that following the posted links could lead to phishing attempts aimed at stealing credentials or digital assets. By issuing the alert, OpenSea sought to mitigate the immediate risk of users falling victim to the scam. The incident highlighted how a compromised communication platform can amplify the reach of phishing campaigns targeting NFT communities. No further technical details about the breach or attacker identity were disclosed in the available source material.