# Compromised Developer's Laptop at the Center of $1,400,000,000 Bybit Heist, Says Safe Wallet
A shocking revelation has emerged from the aftermath of the devastating $1.4 billion hack of crypto exchange platform Bybit. According to a recent thread on the social media platform X, self-custodial wallet Safe Wallet has revealed that the compromised developer's laptop played a pivotal role in the heist.
The investigation, conducted jointly with cybersecurity firm Mandiant, uncovered a complex multi-pronged attack on Bybit's security protocols. The hacker's modus operandi involved compromising the laptop of one of the few developers with elevated access to perform their duties (known as Developer1). This breach allowed the attacker to hijack AWS session tokens, thereby bypassing multi-factor authentication controls.
AWS session tokens are temporary security credentials that grant users and apps secure API calls. The fact that a developer's laptop was compromised to obtain these tokens highlights the vulnerability of even those with high-level access. Safe Wallet notes that while the investigation is ongoing and further inquiry is needed to understand the hacker's activity following the compromise, the firm has taken decisive action to bolster its security measures beyond what they were prior to the heist.
The Bybit hack, which occurred in February, was a major blow to the crypto community. Data from crypto analytics firm Arkham revealed that an astonishing $1.4 billion worth of Ethereum (ETH) and Lido Staked Ethereum (stETH) were stolen, with many considering it the largest crypto hack in history.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has since connected the exploit to TraderTraitor, a hacker group believed to be associated with the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK).
As the investigation continues to unfold, it is clear that the security landscape for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets must evolve to stay ahead of such sophisticated attacks. While the incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in investing in cryptocurrencies, Safe Wallet's proactive response demonstrates the industry's commitment to resilience and improvement.
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