Khamil1 MetaMask Breach Including Strongblock

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MetaMask

Reddit user Khamil1 reports that their MetaMask account was breached. This included a Strongblock which they weren't able to transfer to another wallet. The amount of the loss is unknown.

About KHamil1

Khamil1 has been a Reddit user since December 8th, 2021. He operates multiple Strongblock nodes and uses the MetaMask wallet, but considers himself "fairly new" to the cryptocurrency space..

About MetaMask

MetaMask is the leading self-custodial cryptocurrency wallet used to interact with the Ethereum blockchain. It allows users to access their Ethereum wallet through a browser extension or mobile application, which can then be used to interact with smart contracts. There is an API available for developers to enable easy interaction with their services. MetaMask was developed by ConsenSys Software Inc. in 2016, a blockchain software company focusing on Ethereum-based tools and infrastructure.

A crypto wallet & gateway to blockchain apps. Start exploring blockchain applications in seconds. Trusted by over 30 million users worldwide.

MetaMask equips you with a key vault, secure login, token wallet, and token exchange—everything you need to manage your digital assets.

MetaMask provides the simplest yet most secure way to connect to blockchain-based applications. You are always in control when interacting on the new decentralized web.

MetaMask generates passwords and keys on your device, so only you have access to your accounts and data. You always choose what to share and what to keep private.

"I'm fairly new to the crypto space. I wasnt aware that you could integrate the MM and Trezor wallets together. I know now."

"So the unthinkable has happened. I purchased multiple Strongblock nodes and my Metamask Wallet was hacked. I know that Strongblock will NOT allow the nodes to be switched to another wallet, so what should I do at this point?? Need less to say I will be discarding that wallet, but first is there ANY way I can route the node rewards to me? Should I try and claim the rewards and when they hit the MM wallet, switch them to another wallet real quick in hopes that the hacker won't notice. I mean, at this point the most that could happen is it doesn't go through, which will be the same position I'm in if I don't try at all."

"I really hate that StrongBlock, with all their technological savvy, doesnt have that you can move nodes between wallets. And I still cannot figure out how I ended up on a fake site. I see everywhere that the url for the MM chrome extension is 'metamask.io' and that's exactly what I put in. I'm so disgusted with this whole thing."

"My plan was to claim by rewards at the end of every month. Would you suggest I chance it and try to claim the rewards (if they're still there) at some point and quickly move the rewards to a secure wallet?"

"The reason strongblock doesnt allow wallet node transfers is because if you are hacked, the hacker could steal your nodes as well."

"Also you called them strongnode in the second paragraph, which is a different scam site modeled to look like strongblock, that may be what happened to you"

"There is no "chance" of migrating a compromised wallet's nodes to the right place, because if your wallet is compromised via seed phrase, the scammer would immediately take the nodes just like they take the earnings. Why wouldn't they?"

"David has said they're working on a validation process for node transfers, but given the anonymous and decentralized nature of crypto, this is VERY tricky. and the team has a lot to work on."

"I'm deeply sorry this happened to you, it's many of our worst nightmare. The best practice is NEVER relinquish your seed phrase to anyone for ANY reason, and to ALWAYS manually type in URLs. Bes of luck moving forward"

"To be honest, I'm actually not 100% sure. I went to metamask.io to download the Chrome extension, which I was told is the right site. It asked me for the seed phrase. Some are saying I was supposed to be asked for it, some are saying I wasn't. Anyway, the site appeared to be legit so I entered the phrase. I thought that since I'd never used Metamask on my computer that it was trying to authenticate the account. The next day the hacker drained my account."

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.

The background of the exchange platform, service, or individuals involved, as it would have been seen or understood at the time of the events.

Include:

• Known history of when and how the service was started.
• What problems does the company or service claim to solve?
• What marketing materials were used by the firm or business?
• Audits performed, and excerpts that may have been included.
• Business registration documents shown (fake or legitimate).
• How were people recruited to participate?
• Public warnings and announcements prior to the event.

Don't Include:

• Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
• Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.

There could be more than one section here. If the same platform is involved with multiple incidents, then it can be linked to a main article page.

The Reality

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• When the service was actually started (if different than the "official story").
• Who actually ran a service and their own personal history.
• How the service was structured behind the scenes. (For example, there was no "trading bot".)
• Details of what audits reported and how vulnerabilities were missed during auditing.

What Happened

The specific events of the loss and how it came about. What actually happened to cause the loss and some of the events leading up to it.

Key Event Timeline - Khamil1 MetaMask Breach Including Strongblock

Date	Event	Description
December 8th, 2021 9:41:15 AM MST	Reddit Post	An initial Reddit post is made by Khamil1.
December 8th, 2021 10:52:14 PM MST	Clarification On Events	Khamil1 posted further details about the events which lead up to his loss.

Total Amount Lost

The total amount lost is unknown.

How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?

Immediate Reactions

How did the various parties involved (firm, platform, management, and/or affected individual(s)) deal with the events? Were services shut down? Were announcements made? Were groups formed?

Khamil1 posted about their situation on Reddit.

So the unthinkable has happened. I purchased multiple Strongblock nodes and my Metamask Wallet was hacked. I know that Strongblock will NOT allow the nodes to be switched to another wallet, so what should I do at this point?? Need less to say I will be discarding that wallet, but first is there ANY way I can route the node rewards to me? Should I try and claim the rewards and when they hit the MM wallet, switch them to another wallet real quick in hopes that the hacker won't notice. I mean, at this point the most that could happen is it doesn't go through, which will be the same position I'm in if I don't try at all. I really hate that StrongBlock, with all their technological savvy, doesnt have that you can move nodes between wallets. And I still cannot figure out how I ended up on a fake site. I see everywhere that the url for the MM chrome extension is 'metamask.io' and that's exactly what I put in. I'm so disgusted with this whole thing.

Ultimate Outcome

What was the end result? Was any investigation done? Were any individuals prosecuted? Was there a lawsuit? Was any tracing done?

Total Amount Recovered

There do not appear to have been any funds recovered in this case.

What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?

Ongoing Developments

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General Prevention Policies

Always access websites through bookmarks or manually typing the URL.

Individual Prevention Policies

No specific policies for individual prevention have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as an individual, check our Prevention Policies for Individuals guide.

Platform Prevention Policies

Policies for platforms to take to prevent this situation have not yet been selected in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as a financial service, check our Prevention Policies for Platforms guide.

Regulatory Prevention Policies

No specific regulatory policies have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of regulatory policies that can prevent loss, check our Prevention Policies for Regulators guide.