Nobitex, Iran's largest crypto exchange, said it was hacked on Wednesday and funds were released from its hot wallet.
In a statement on the website translated by TechCrunch, Nobitex said it had detected unauthorized access to infrastructure and hot wallets. The company is investigating the incident and said its website and app will not be available in the near future.
Public records show that hackers stole at least $90 million in company assets in multiple transactions. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic has “burned” the stolen funds by sending the code into an inaccessible wallet and effectively stealing money from circulation.
According to an archived copy of the Nobitex website last week, Nobitex has over 10 million customers.
The predatory sparrows of the Pro Israel hacking group (also known as “Gongeshkedalande” in Falsch) praised the cyberattack. In a post from X, the group said it targeted Nobitex, which allegedly funded terrorism for the Iranian regime and avoided international sanctions.
A day ago, the hacking group also claimed responsibility for hacking at Iranian bank Sepa, resulting in widespread suspensions at ATMs across the country.
The news of a cyberattack comes as Israel and Iran attack each other's cities. It is not clear who is behind the predatory sparrows that first appeared in 2021, but the hacking group has targeted Iranian organizations in destructive cyberattacks in the past, and appears to be widely allying with Israeli interests.
Iran's news outlet Elib said on Tuesday that Israel had “started a massive cyber war in the ongoing military conflict. [Iran’s] Digital infrastructure that disrupts the process of providing services. ”