Hedera network hit by ongoing exploit, over $4M bridged to Ethereum
Security & Exploits ·
An attacker is reportedly draining funds from the Hedera network and moving them to Ethereum, with more than $4M already bridged as of the latest count.
An ongoing exploit involving Hedera has resulted in over $4M being bridged to Ethereum by the attacker, according to a post on X. A theft address tied to the incident, 0xaf20D792A19fD42dCf697ceBa6100291D96dD93e, has been identified and is being tracked in real time.
Additional details indicate the stolen funds were moved via Layerzero, the cross-chain messaging protocol that connects Hedera to Ethereum. Once on Ethereum, the funds are reportedly being swapped from WBTC into ETH, a pattern consistent with an attacker attempting to liquidate stolen assets quickly. A second theft address, 0x9A4966152F6e10b33Cb7a37975e8619816d6a494, has also been linked to the exploit, suggesting the attacker may be using multiple wallets to route funds.
The reported bridged amount has been described inconsistently across updates, with figures ranging from over $3.7M to over $4M as the situation developed, and a separate account in the same cluster puts the total exploit size at $5.25M. The discrepancy likely reflects the fact that this is an active, unfolding event rather than a single confirmed loss figure, and totals may continue to shift as more transactions are traced.
Two distinct sources are currently covering the cluster, both describing the same core mechanics: an exploit on Hedera, a bridge to Ethereum via Layerzero, and swaps out of WBTC into ETH. No official statement from Hedera or Layerzero confirming the exploit, its root cause, or a final loss total has been included in the material available.
What remains unresolved includes the exact vulnerability exploited on the Hedera side, whether the attacker will continue moving funds or attempt further swaps, and what, if any, response teams behind Hedera or Layerzero take to trace or freeze the identified addresses. The final tally of stolen funds is also not yet settled, given the range of figures reported so far.