Polygon Discord compromise spread to Avalanche and ZKsync

• Avalanche and ZKsync Discord servers were compromised within 48 hours of Polygon.
• Attackers shared fake links promising free tokens, exploiting both communities.
• Avalanche resolved their issue within an hour, while ZKsync’s breach remains unaddressed.

Over the weekend, the blockchain community was rocked by a series of Discord server compromises that began with Polygon and quickly spread to Avalanche and ZKsync.

The incidents, which involved the distribution of malicious links promising fake token distributions, highlight a growing trend of security breaches targeting cryptocurrency projects. These attacks not only undermine trust but also pose significant risks to users’ assets.

Phishing links shared after Avalanche Discord compromise

On August 25, Avalanche’s official Discord server was compromised, with attackers posting fraudulent links claiming to offer free AVAX tokens.

The official Avalanche account promptly alerted users to avoid interacting with or clicking on any links shared in the compromised server. Screenshots from members of the Avalanche community revealed the nature of the scam, which promised sham “distribution” schemes for AVAX tokens.

Avax discord looking sus…disabled chat in all channels and an announcement about “claiming Avax from the foundation”

My advice?

…don’t click anything in that discord for a while… pic.twitter.com/x9MLy4vPeX

— Stog Chog🔺 (@stogchog) August 25, 2024

Avalanche’s community lead, Ben Well, reported that the issue was identified and resolved within an hour, with efforts underway to restore normal server operations.

UPDATE: The official Avalanche Discord has been resecured and will reopen when CMs deem appropriate. https://t.co/bMwSI87TAs

— Avalanche 🔺 (@avax) August 25, 2024

Despite the swift response, the incident raised concerns about the vulnerability of major blockchain projects to similar exploits.

ZKsync Discord hit by simultaneous attack

The security breach at Avalanche was shortly followed by another incident, this time affecting ZKsync. Just an hour after Avalanche’s compromise, ZKsync’s Discord server was also breached.

Attackers used the same tactic of disseminating fake links, this time promising users free ZK tokens through a bogus “round 2 airdrop” scheme.

Although ZKsync has not yet officially addressed the exploit on social media, several team members have acknowledged the issue on their Discord channels.

Crypto Discord server attacks on the rise

The recent attack on Polygon, Avalanche and ZKsyncs’ Discord is part of a troubling trend of high-profile breaches in the crypto community.

On March 25, 2023, CertiK exposed a phishing scam on Arbitrum’s Discord, which exploited a compromised developer account to spread a malicious link.

Similarly, on May 5, the Gnus.AI network suffered a Discord-related exploit, resulting in a $1.27 million loss.

This sequence of breaches underscores a troubling pattern of coordinated attacks targeting prominent blockchain platforms. The attacks, which involve phishing schemes and fraudulent token distributions, not only threaten individual users but also compromise the integrity of the affected projects.