Blockchain-based malware incidents have surged 440% over the past year, according to a Chainalysis report. Blockchain dead drops (BDDs) have climbed from roughly two to eleven cases per day, with state-linked hacking groups, particularly from North Korea and Iran, accounting for approximately two-thirds of this activity. Attackers embed malicious code in blockchain transactions and smart contracts at a cost of under $2 per operation, exploiting the immutability and censorship resistance of these networks. Open-source AI is democratizing the creation of these malicious scripts, enabling less technically skilled attackers to carry out operations at scale. North Korean group UNC5342 is diversifying beyond Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain to distribute malicious payloads across TRON and Aptos simultaneously.
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