$400K Stolen in Aethir Hack: Funds Moved to TRON, Experts Blame Weak Cross-Chain Security!

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Aethir Adapter Hack Drains $400K, Funds Moved to TRON

Key Highlights

  • Aethir lost over $400K in a cross-chain exploit as funds quickly moved from BNB Chain to TRON wallets.
  • Hackers used cross-chain tools to hide stolen Aethir funds, making tracking across blockchains harder for analysts.
  • Experts link Aethir exploit risks to weak cross-chain security, with funds still sitting idle in TRON wallets.

As a researcher following the crypto space, I’ve been tracking a recent security incident involving Aethir. It appears attackers managed to steal over $400,000 from their system. The vulnerability was located in something called the AethirOFTAdapter – essentially a tool people use to transfer tokens between different blockchains. I first became aware of the issue when PeckShieldAlert, a security firm, posted about suspicious transactions on X.

The hacker quickly moved the stolen tokens from the BNB Chain to the TRON blockchain using a service that connects different blockchains. Security firm PeckShieldAlert reported that the hacker made several fast transactions to try and hide the transfer.

Security researchers at PeckShield have identified an exploit affecting the AethirOFTAdapter, resulting in losses of over $400,000. The attacker moved the stolen funds from the BNB Chain to the TRON network using the Symbiosis Finance bridge. The funds are currently held in the following address: TNC4wgK518RZdZVa6NPZLnqy6FEswA4G15, and other addresses.

— PeckShieldAlert (@PeckShieldAlert) April 10, 2026

Initially, the stolen digital tokens were sent to a wallet on the BNB Smart Chain linked to the deBridge blockchain. The hacker quickly moved most of these tokens to the TRON network, and they are now spread across several wallets there.

Exploit path and fund movement

The hacker rapidly transferred the stolen money using tools that work across different blockchains, which made it difficult to follow. They specifically used Symbiosis Finance to move the funds from the BNB Chain to the TRON network. Investigators have now located two wallets on TRON that are holding the stolen funds. Currently, there haven’t been any significant withdrawals from these wallets, leading investigators to believe the attacker is likely holding onto the money for the time being.

We don’t yet know exactly what caused the hack, but experts suspect a flaw in the code of the smart contract or inadequate security measures might be to blame. Because systems that connect multiple blockchains are complicated, they can be difficult to fully secure and often contain undiscovered vulnerabilities.

Aethir hasn’t released an official statement yet. They’re probably still figuring out what caused the issue and how the security breach occurred.

Rising risks in cross-chain DeFi

This recent hack is part of a growing trend of attacks targeting bridges in 2026. Hackers are increasingly focusing on these cross-chain systems because they manage significant financial assets. We’ve already seen several incidents this year, including a $3 million loss for CrossCurve due to a flaw in their smart contract, and a $4.3 million breach at IoTeX caused by a compromised validator key.

Security professionals are increasingly worried about the possibility of attacks coming from people working within DeFi projects. A growing concern centers on developers believed to be connected to North Korea. As Taylor Monahan pointed out, many of the people building popular DeFi protocols are actually IT workers from North Korea. Evidence indicates these individuals have been secretly involved with various platforms since 2020.

The Lazarus Group is still a major threat to the cryptocurrency world. Experts believe they’ve stolen approximately $7 billion worth of crypto since 2017. The recent attack on Aethir highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in how different blockchains connect and the security of smart contracts.

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2026-04-10 10:13