news 
Notorious ‘Blockchain Bandit’ Resurfaces, Moves 51,000 ETH in Largest Fund Transfer
In a shocking turn of events, the notorious “Blockchain Bandit” has resurfaced after a brief hiatus, moving an astonishing 51,000 Ethereum (ETH) worth approximately $172 million to a single multisig wallet. The transaction took place on December 30 and marks the largest fund transfer associated with this infamous cybercriminal.
The Blockchain Bandit initially gained notoriety between 2016 and 2018 by employing a technique known as “Ethercombing.” This method involved systematically guessing weak private keys, often generated by faulty random number algorithms or misconfigured wallets. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, the attacker managed to steal over 45,000 ETH across 49,060 transactions by compromising an astonishing 732 private keys.
While brute-forcing private keys is typically considered improbable due to their vast numerical range, the Bandit capitalized on predictable flaws such as non-random key generation and poorly implemented recovery phrases. Experts suggest that state-sponsored actors or possibly North Korean hacker groups may be behind these attacks, citing parallels with other large-scale crypto thefts. These entities are known for targeting cryptocurrency platforms to fund illicit operations, including weapons programs.
The Bandit’s recent activity, coupled with the utilization of multi-signature wallets, implies a potential laundering of funds through mixers or decentralized exchanges in an effort to obscure their origins.
Source: cryptopotato.com
