Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Confirms SIM-Swap Attack Behind X Account Hack

Summary

• Vitalik Buterin confirmed that the hack of his X account was a result of a SIM-swap attack.
• The attack occurred on September 9 and led to scammers posting a deceptive NFT giveaway, causing victims to lose over $691,000.
• Buterin emphasized the importance of Twitter account security and highlighted the security benefits of decentralized social platforms.

Speaking on the decentralized social media platform Farcaster, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has confirmed that the recent breach of his X (Twitter) account was the outcome of a SIM-swap attack. Buterin, who recently regained control of his T-Mobile account, revealed in his statement that someone socially-engineered T-Mobile itself to take over his phone number.

Buterin's X account was compromised on September 9, leading to scammers posting a deceptive NFT giveaway, luring users to click on a malicious link. As a result, victims collectively lost over $691,000.

This breach resulted in lessons learned by Buterin, particularly regarding Twitter account security. He noted, "A phone number is sufficient to password reset a Twitter account even if not used as 2FA. Can completely remove phone from Twitter."

Buterin also expressed his relief at being part of Farcaster, where account recovery can be securely controlled through Ethereum addresses. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the ever-evolving cybersecurity challenges faced by high-profile individuals in the cryptocurrency industry.