{
  "id": 18057371,
  "title": "One fake interview, four hours, US$6b gone: Binance explains the hack",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/one-fake-interview-four-hours-us-6b-gone-binance-explains-the-hack",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-04T02:21:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/tech-gadgets/2026/11/04/one-fake-interview-four-hours-us6b-gone-binance-explains-the-hack/241896"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On November 4, Binance unveiled a comprehensive investigation into a US$6 billion (RM24.4 billion) hack that targeted its cryptocurrency platform. The attack, which unfolded over approximately four hours on October 29, was traced back to North Korea-affiliated hackers, a claim the regime has vehemently denied. The investigation reveals how the cybercriminals employed deceptive tactics, including fake job interviews and malicious code, to perpetrate the heist.\n\nTo initiate the breach, the hackers began by targeting a platform engineer in June by duping him into downloading a virus-laden version of the popular programming software, Homebrew. Despite the cybersecurity team identifying and eliminating the malware, the attackers had already acquired sensitive information about the engineer and his colleagues.\n\nIn September, the cybercriminals approached another Binance engineer through a legitimate job-search platform, offering a job interview for a position within a fictitious company. Building rapport with the engineer through the sharing of social media content, they eventually persuaded him to download a test exercise as part of the interview process. This exercise, in fact, harbored malware designed to bypass sophisticated obfuscation and evasion techniques, ultimately allowing the hackers to establish a connection with Binance's internal systems.\n\nOn October 20, the attackers, aided by an internal AI tool, gained control over software utilized by two other engineers. Just nine days later, they triggered the malicious code that set the hack in motion. At present, around US$2.85 billion (RM11.6 billion) of the stolen assets has been frozen, preventing the attackers from utilizing or converting the funds into another currency.",
  "summary": "NEW YORK, Nov 4 — Binance released on Tuesday a detailed investigation into the US$6 billion (RM24.4 billion) hack...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Business",
        "title": "Binance says hackers used fake job interview to compromise computer before $6.3 billion attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/binance-says-hackers-used-fake-job-interview-to-compromise-computer",
        "published": "2026-11-03T14:51:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Insurance Journal",
        "title": "Binance Hackers Used Fake Job Interviews in $6.3 Billion Heist",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/binance-hackers-used-fake-job-interviews-in-6-3-billion-heist",
        "published": "2026-11-03T15:15:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "How fake job interviews helped hackers steal $6.34 billion from Binance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/how-fake-job-interviews-helped-hackers-steal-6-34-billion-from-binance",
        "published": "2026-11-03T18:38:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Straits Times Business",
        "title": "Binance hackers used fake job interview in US$6.3 billion attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/binance-hackers-used-fake-job-interview-in-us-6-3-billion-attack",
        "published": "2026-11-03T18:50:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn Business",
        "title": "Binance reveals hackers used fake job interviews, malicious code in $6.3bn heist",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/binance-reveals-hackers-used-fake-job-interviews-malicious-code-in-6",
        "published": "2026-11-03T18:51:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Business",
        "title": "Hackers behind $6.3bn Binance heist ‘used malware and bogus job interviews’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/hackers-behind-6-3bn-binance-heist-used-malware-and-bogus-job",
        "published": "2026-11-03T19:00:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Wired",
        "title": "Binance Says Hackers Used Well-Known Tricks to Carry Out a $6.34 Billion Heist",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/binance-says-hackers-used-well-known-tricks-to-carry-out-a-6-34",
        "published": "2026-11-03T19:04:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dev.to",
        "title": "How $6,43 billion was stolen from Binance through fake interviews",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/how-6-43-billion-was-stolen-from-binance-through-fake-interviews",
        "published": "2026-11-03T19:32:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Binance says malicious code, fake job interview led to $6.3B hack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/binance-says-malicious-code-fake-job-interview-led-to-6-3b-hack",
        "published": "2026-11-03T21:44:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}