El Salvador’s Bitcoin wallet has suffered a security breach, the latest attack on the country’s encryption program.
Cybercrime group CiberInteligenciaSV leaked part of the wallet source code and VPN access information on an online hacking forum on Tuesday. The exploit is one of the latest attacks on El Salvador’s official Chivo Wallet for Bitcoin, plaguing the program as prices for some cryptocurrencies soared to their highest in two years.
“This time we took the code inside the Bitcoin Chivo Wallet ATM in El Salvador. Remember, this is a government wallet. As you know, we do not sell, we publish everything for free,” CiberInteligenciaSV said. There is a post on Tuesday.
The breach comes days after a group of cybercriminals released the personal data of about 5.1 million Salvadorans online as part of a separate attack. According to CiberInteligencia, the hackers released the stolen information to the public to punish the Salvadoran government for refusing to release the information.
It is unclear what the hackers want to discuss with Salvadoran officials.
The El Salvador government did not immediately respond to The Block’s request for comment.
El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as fiat currency in 2021. This was a risky bet to offset the economic impact of a depreciating local currency. As part of this initiative, we are launching Chivo Wallet, the official Bitcoin wallet for the people of El Salvador, allowing them to buy, sell and store the world’s oldest cryptocurrency.
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About the author
Elizabeth Napolitano is a data reporter covering business and technology news with a focus on cryptocurrency. Before she joined The Block, Elizabeth reported on BigTech, AI, cryptocurrency, and video games for CBS Moneywatch. As a CoinDesk reporter, she covered DeFi, NFTs, and US courts. She received a master’s degree in journalism from CUNY. X: Follow her at @LizKNapolitano.