Iranian cryptocurrency exchange Nobitex suffered a significant security breach resulting in the theft of $48.65 million worth of Bitcoin.
The hacker group ‘Gonjeshke Darande,’ meaning ‘Predatory Sparrow’ in Persian, publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Beyond the theft, the group issued threats to release Nobitex’s proprietary source code and internal network data publicly.
Gonjeshke Darande possesses a documented history of targeting critical Iranian infrastructure, including energy, steel, and banking sectors.
The sophistication of their attacks has led to speculation regarding potential links to Israeli intelligence, specifically Unit 8200, though the Israeli government maintains ambiguity concerning any formal connection.
The breach raises serious concerns about the ongoing security of assets remaining on the Nobitex platform.