Crypto Christmas Heist: Over $6 Million Lost, Trust Wallet Chrome Extension Wallet Hacked Analysis
Original Title: "Christmas Heist | Trust Wallet Browser Extension Wallet Hacked Analysis"
Original Source: SlowMist Technology
Background
Early this morning Beijing time, @zachxbt announced in the channel, "Some Trust Wallet users reported that funds in their wallet addresses have been stolen in the past few hours." Subsequently, Trust Wallet's official X also released an official statement confirming a security vulnerability in Trust Wallet Browser Extension version 2.68, advising all users using version 2.68 to immediately disable this version and upgrade to version 2.69.

Tactics
Upon receiving the intelligence, the SlowMist security team promptly conducted an analysis of the relevant samples. Let's first compare the core code of the previously released 2.67 and 2.68 versions:


By diffing the code of the two versions, we found the malicious code added by the hacker:

The malicious code will traverse all wallets in the plugin, make a "get mnemonic phrase" request for each user's wallet to obtain the user's encrypted mnemonic phrase, and finally use the password or passkeyPassword entered by the user when unlocking the wallet for decryption. If decryption is successful, the user's mnemonic phrase will be sent to the attacker's domain `api.metrics-trustwallet[.]com`.

We also analyzed the attacker's domain information; the attacker used the domain: metrics-trustwallet.com.

Upon investigation, the registration time of this malicious domain was 2025-12-08 02:28:18, and the domain registrar is: NICENIC INTERNATIONA.
Request records targeting api.metrics-trustwallet[.]com began on 2025-12-21.

This timestamp and the implantation of the backdoor with code 12.22 are roughly the same.
We continue to reproduce the entire attack process through code tracking analysis:
Through dynamic analysis, it can be seen that after unlocking the wallet, the attacker filled the mnemonic information into the error in R1.

And the source of this Error data is obtained through the GET_SEED_PHRASE function call. Currently, Trust Wallet supports two ways to unlock: password and passkeyPassword. The attacker, during the unlocking process, obtained the password or passkeyPassword, then called GET_SEED_PHRASE to obtain the wallet's mnemonic phrase (private key as well), and then placed the mnemonic phrase in the "errorMessage".

Below is the code using emit to call GetSeedPhrase to obtain the mnemonic phrase data and fill it into the error.

Traffic analysis performed through BurpSuite shows that after obtaining the mnemonic phrase, it is encapsulated in the request body's errorMessage field and sent to a malicious server (https[://]api[.]metrics-trustwallet[.]com), which is consistent with the previous analysis.

Through the above process, the theft of the mnemonic phrase/private key is completed. In addition, the attacker is also familiar with the source code and utilizes the open-source full-lifecycle product analysis platform PostHogJS to collect user wallet information.
Stolen Asset Analysis

(https://t.me/investigations/296)
According to ZachXBT's disclosed hacker address, we have calculated that as of the time of publication, the total amount of stolen assets on the Bitcoin blockchain is approximately 33 BTC (valued at around 3 million USD), the stolen assets on the Solana blockchain are valued at around 431 USD, and the stolen assets on the Ethereum mainnet and Layer 2 chains are valued at around 3 million USD. After stealing the coins, the hacker used various centralized exchanges and cross-chain bridges to transfer and exchange some of the assets.


Summary
This backdoor incident originated from a malicious code modification to the Trust Wallet extension's internal codebase (analytics service logic), rather than the introduction of a tampered third-party package (such as a malicious npm package). The attacker directly altered the application's own code, using the legitimate PostHog library to redirect analytics data to a malicious server. Therefore, we have reason to believe this was a professional APT attack, where the attacker may have gained control of Trust Wallet-related developers' device or release deployment permissions prior to December 8.
Recommendations:
1. If you have installed the Trust Wallet extension wallet, you should immediately disconnect from the internet as a prerequisite for investigation and actions.
2. Immediately export your private key/mnemonic phrase and uninstall the Trust Wallet extension wallet.
3. After backing up your private key/mnemonic phrase, promptly transfer your funds to another wallet.
You may also like
AI Trading in Live Markets: 4 Lessons From a WEEX Hackathon Top 10 Finalist
AI trading meets real markets. Explore 4 lessons from a WEEX Hackathon Top 10 finalist on surviving volatility, trusting AI models, and building smarter crypto trading systems.

MegaETH Co-founder: 48 Hours After Leaving Dubai, I Reassessed the Entire Crypto Space

Web3 Winter Mass Exodus: Resignations, Closures, Transformations, and Acquisitions

Key Market Information Discrepancy on March 4th — A Must-Read! | Alpha Morning Report

During the weekend market closure, Hyperliquid more accurately predicted the Gold reopening price than Binance

OpenClaw thrusts crypto project Venice.ai into the spotlight as its token VVV surges over 500% in a single month

Different Rulings in Similar Cases: Why can Uniswap go free while Tornado Cash cannot?

In the next 5 years, Vitalik will expand Ethereum in this way

WBT Pulled a Quiet 15X While Everyone Was Watching Meme Coins
WBT, the native token of WhiteBIT exchange, surged from under $6 in 2023 to over $50 by 2026,…

Bank of Japan to Test Blockchain-Based Reserve Settlement Platform
Key Takeaways The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is leading the way as the first G7 member to explore…

Ethereum Price Prediction: Whales Impact 7th Red Month as RWA Sector Achieves $15B Record
Key Takeaways: Ethereum is on the brink of recording its seventh consecutive red month, indicating a potential prolonged…

VanEck’s Macro Bottom Thesis: Is the $60K–$70K Floor the Real Cycle Reset?
Key Takeaways VanEck CEO Jan van Eck asserts that Bitcoin is forming a macro market bottom around the…

WBT Did a Quiet 15X While Everyone Focused on Meme Coins
Key Takeaways WBT, WhiteBIT’s native cryptocurrency, has surged over 3,000% from its lowest point in late 2022 to…

Arthur Hayes Forecasts Bitcoin Price Surge to $750,000 by 2027 Due to Monetary Expansion
Key Takeaways Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, forecasts Bitcoin’s price to reach $250,000 in 2026 and then surge…

Iranian Exchange Outflow Surges 700% Amid Stiffening USDT Sanctions
Key Takeaways: Iranian cryptocurrency exchange outflows surged by 700% following military strikes, signaling rapid capital flight from the…

Crypto Price Prediction Today 2 March – XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum
Key Takeaways XRP is poised to potentially reach $5, driven by its role in stablecoin and tokenized asset…

Solana Price Outlook: Why A Billion-Dollar Loss Didn’t Deter This SOL Whale — What Insight Do They Have?
Key Takeaways A major institutional investor in Solana withstands a huge unrealized loss, maintaining confidence in the long-term…

Bitcoin Price Prediction: $1 Billion Floods Back Into Crypto ETFs — Is the Bull Run Restarting?
Key Takeaways A notable $1 billion has re-entered crypto exchange-traded products, hinting at potential upward momentum in Bitcoin…
AI Trading in Live Markets: 4 Lessons From a WEEX Hackathon Top 10 Finalist
AI trading meets real markets. Explore 4 lessons from a WEEX Hackathon Top 10 finalist on surviving volatility, trusting AI models, and building smarter crypto trading systems.