Gala Games

History

2024: Platform hacking, $22m theft

On May 20, 2024, the Gala Games blockchain platform announced a hacker attack, as a result of which attackers managed to steal more than $22 million. The incident is alleged to have occurred due to a breach of internal security controls.

It is reported that during the attack, cybercriminals were able to withdraw 600 million of their own Gala platform coins worth about 5913 Ethereum, or approximately $22.2 million at the time of the invasion. Moreover, the hackers created 4.4 billion additional Gala coins, but they could not get these funds because the security system blocked the account. Gala Games said it was an "isolated incident whose cause has been addressed."

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We identified a compromise and within 45 minutes prevented unauthorized access to the platform. We are working closely with law enforcement to identify the attackers involved in the hack, representatives of Gala Games said.

Specialists from the FBI, the US Department of Justice and a number of international organizations were involved in the investigation of the incident. According to some reports, the hack was made possible by gaining control over the administrator account.

It is also reported that just one day after the attack, on May 21, 2024, 5913.2 Ethereum was sent from the attackers' wallet to the Gala Games platform. Thus, cybercriminals fully compensated for the amount stolen earlier. Gala Games said the development was made possible by the team's "rapid and effective response and involvement in federal law enforcement investigations." Gala Games co-founder and CEO Eric Schiermeyer noted that the alleged hacker has been identified.^[1]

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