A Cryptocurrency Exchange Breach Under Investigation – Forensics Report Summary
Service: Forensic Investigation
Industry: Cryptocurrency Exchange
Region: Greece
1. Background
A major cryptocurrency exchange recently suffered a major security breach involving the theft of a lot of digital assets. Hard to track, the pilfers were taken from a sequence of scattered transactions. Early indicators suggested a possible insider threat since the assailant seemed to know the internal systems and policies of the exchange personally.
The exchange contacted our digital forensics team as part of their response to help look at the incident. Because of their increased access rights and technical prowess, one specific employee became of interest. Following standard incident response procedures, several devices associated with the employee were confiscated and securely transferred to us for a detailed forensic examination.
2. Incident Investigation Framework
2.1. Investigation Checklist
The forensic team followed a standard investigation checklist tailored for handling digital breaches:
Collect volatile data to preserve real-time system states.
Monitor live processes and connections to identify suspicious activity.
Examine logs and system traces for anomalies.
Check autostart programs and scheduled tasks.
Analyze browser history, extensions, and plugins.
Run malware scans and validate system integrity.
Perform data recovery where needed.
2.2. macOS System Analysis
Given that the suspect’s primary workstation was running macOS, the investigation focused on:
Reviewing system and application logs.
Monitoring processes and network connections.
Identifying all persistent or autostart software.
Tracing anomalies using system console logs.
Conducting deep malware scans and vulnerability checks.
Verifying system data integrity and recovering any deleted artifacts.
3. Tools Utilized
To carry out the investigation thoroughly, the following tools were used:
CryEye Forensic Agent – Captured and analyzed system activities and logs via web interface.
Live Forensicator – Collected live, in-memory system data for time-sensitive analysis.
Forensicator – Extracted logs, browser data, and configuration files.
Malwarebytes – Detected and removed any present malware or suspicious programs.
KnockKnock – Identified hidden or persistent software on macOS.
Mac Console – Allowed manual inspection of system-level logs and warnings.
4. Review of Digital Activities and Security Observations
Our forensic team examined a wide array of digital traces on the suspect’s device. Some findings raised questions but did not provide conclusive evidence of malicious activity.
4.1. Interaction with Cryptocurrency Management Tools
The suspect had interacted with the Electrum wallet interface, a well-known tool for managing Bitcoin. This suggests they were actively handling or monitoring cryptocurrency on the device.
4.2. Gaps in Browser History
There were notable gaps in both Chrome and Safari history. This may indicate an intentional clearing of evidence or the use of privacy-focused browsing tools to obscure activity.
4.3. Telegram Application Trace Missing
The suspect’s Mac had no active Telegram installation, but residual metadata showed it had been used previously. This raises the possibility of deliberate uninstallation to hide communication history.
4.4. Unusual Pritunl VPN Logs
Logs from the Pritunl VPN client showed numerous network errors and DNS configuration issues around the date of the incident. The VPN service failed to establish consistent secure tunnels, possibly due to network interference or misconfiguration. The detailed routing and DNS customization could imply attempts to obfuscate traffic or redirect it.
4.5. SSH and Git Activity
The system showed heavy usage of SSH with port forwarding and tunneling, along with Git operations involving security-related repositories. This activity may indicate remote operations or access setup, though the context remains unclear.
4.6. DeFi and Exchange Activity
The suspect frequently visited PancakeSwap, Uniswap, and other crypto trading platforms. The search history included RPC node setups and blockchain explorers, suggesting active trading or blockchain interaction during working hours.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the forensic investigation of the suspect’s digital activities did not conclusively link them to the security incident in question. The review included interaction with cryptocurrency management interfaces, significant gaps in browser history, the absence of the Telegram application, and unusual Pritunl VPN activity. Additionally, the investigation covered extensive SSH operations, active cryptocurrency trading on platforms like PancakeSwap and Uniswap, and a to-do list involving the creation of a “hot” account. Despite these points of interest, the suspect’s VPN logs confirmed inactivity during the incident, and the presence of a Hetzner account did not provide clear evidence of malicious intent.
Overall, while some activities raise questions, they primarily indicate routine, work-related operations and do not firmly establish a connection to the alleged theft.
Without additional evidence, the suspect’s involvement remains unconfirmed.
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