Yesterday it became known that the official website of the memecoin $PEPE was hacked - attackers injected malicious code, and users visiting the resource were automatically redirected to fraudulent pages. According to a study by cybersecurity specialists from Blockaid, the attack was triggered using a tool called Inferno Drainer.
According to Blockaid experts, on the site $PEPE code characteristic of ransomware and phishing schemes was discovered. When visiting the site, the user would encounter a fake interface disguised as the original—this allowed attackers to attempt to steal funds from cryptocurrency wallets.
Inferno Drainer is a whole set of fraudulent tools: phishing templates, cryptocurrency theft programs, and social engineering techniques. According to the company, the activity of Inferno Drainer has significantly increased in 2024: if previously about 800 new malicious decentralized applications were recorded per week, by mid-2024 this number grew approximately threefold—to 2400 per week.
Interestingly, despite this security incident, the price $PEPE did not react immediately. According to price aggregator information, over the last 24 hours the meme coin even showed an increase of about 4%. However, over the past 12 months, its price has decreased by more than 77%, which heightens concerns among token holders.
This incident highlights that even popular meme coins are subject to serious risks. In an environment where phishing attacks and malware are becoming increasingly sophisticated, cryptocurrency users must exercise caution. Recommended measures include using trusted sources, avoiding suspicious links, using secure wallets, and employing antivirus/anti-phishing software.
For platforms like Binance, the importance of such incidents is hard to overstate: negative news about the security of crypto projects can diminish user trust and affect the market as a whole. At the same time, such cases underscore why adherence to security standards—from KYC and cold storage of assets to user protection—remains one of the key advantages of reliable exchanges.
