Consensys accidentally hired North Korean hacker for MetaMask

Blockchain company Consensys accidentally hired a software developer linked to North Korea. The person managed to gain access to the company under the false name “Tyler Knapp” and contributed to code for the popular crypto wallet MetaMask. That is reported by Drop Site News.

Access via external service provider

The North Korean developer managed to enter Consensys via an external service provider, not through a direct application. This is a well-known tactic in which state-sponsored hackers from North Korea pose as freelancers or contractors to gain access to Western tech companies. Under the alias Tyler Knapp, the person actually contributed to MetaMask-related code, including functions for converting crypto to fiat.

Consensys states that it revoked the developer’s access as soon as the security risk was identified. The company indicates that no malicious code was deployed and that no assets or user data were compromised. MetaMask users experienced no consequences from the incident.

North Korea as a structural threat to the crypto sector

This incident does not stand alone. North Korea has been known for years as one of the largest state-sponsored threats to the crypto sector. Groups such as the Lazarus Group try to gain access to crypto projects through various methods, from direct hacks to infiltrating development teams. Creating fake identities to obtain IT jobs at Western companies is a growing trend in this regard.

The case at Consensys shows how vulnerable even established players in the industry can be to this kind of infiltration attempt. The company is the developer behind MetaMask, one of the most used Ethereum wallets in the world with tens of millions of users. That a North Korea-linked person actively worked on the codebase is therefore a serious incident, even if according to Consensys there are no direct consequences for users.