Solana Wallets Compromised, $523K Lost: BONKbot Clears Its Name

Updated: 30 March 2024

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Don’t invest unless prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment, you shouldn’t expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

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A recent spate of wallet drainer attacks has hit the Solana ecosystem, leaving hundreds of users with emptied wallets. The attacks, occurring over the last day, have led to speculation that Telegram trading bots may be responsible for a leak of private keys. BONKbot, a popular trading bot associated with the Solana meme coin BONK, has been under scrutiny, but its team vehemently denies any connection to the exploit.

BONKbot Denies Involvement in Solana Wallet Attacks

Reports have flooded Twitter with Solana users lamenting the loss of their SOL tokens. BONKbot, which allows users to buy and sell Solana-based tokens through Telegram, has been a focal point of suspicion. However, the BONKbot team has been quick to refute these claims. They assert that BONKbot remains secure and that the exploits are occurring elsewhere in the ecosystem. According to their statement, all affected users had previously exported their private keys and used them in other applications. They also noted that non-BONKbot wallets have been drained, further distancing themselves from the issue.

<0.1% of BONKbot users who've exported their PK were affected. Our analysis strongly suggests the exploit occurred from those victims importing PKs into a specific application.

Data so far:
– total victims: 302
– BONKbot victims: 113
– keyExported from BONKbot: 113
– total SOL…

— BONKbot (@bonkbot_io) March 29, 2024

Unraveling the Mystery Behind the Solana Wallet Breach

By Friday afternoon, BONKbot reported tracking 302 victims of the wallet drainer, with a total loss of approximately 2,808 SOL, or around $523,000. Out of these victims, 113 had used BONKbot, but all had exported their private keys for use in other applications. The team suggests that the exploit likely originated from victims importing their private keys into a specific, unnamed application. They have yet to disclose the application in question.

The largest loss from a single victim amounted to just over 500 SOL, valued at about $93,000. Amidst the chaos, speculation has arisen on Twitter regarding Solareum, another Telegram trading bot, as a potential source of the private key leak. The Solareum team has acknowledged the possibility of being exploited but maintains that they, too, are victims. They have stated that they will make a public announcement if their exploitation is confirmed, noting that there are also wallets affected that have never interacted with their bot.

Slothana: A New Contender in the Solana Meme Coin Arena

The Solana blockchain has recently become a hotbed for meme coins, with its low fees and high transaction speeds attracting a flurry of activity. This has given rise to a series of presales without defined stages, each generating significant interest. From BOME to the more recent Slerf, each meme coin in this category has made a substantial impact.

Slothana is the newest addition to this growing list. Drawing inspiration from the sloth imagery used by Slerf, Slothana aims to offer investors a more appealing option. With a distinct image and limited utility, Slothana targets the “degen” investors, focusing on short-term gains rather than long-term potential.

The project’s straightforward approach has already garnered over $500k in investments. The process for acquiring Slothana is simple: investors can go to the official website and send SOL to the provided address. In return, developers will airdrop 10,000 SLOTH tokens for every 1 SOL sent once the presale concludes.

Visit Slothana