Crypto
Mandiant X/Twitter hacker linked to $900K cryptocurrency phishing scheme
Mandiant, a Google-owned cybersecurity company, says a “brute force password attack” likely caused the takeover of its X (formerly known as Twitter) account last week.
The account hijacking was part of a cryptocurrency phishing campaign linked to a drainer-as-a-service (DaaS) offering Mandiant calls CLINKSINK, according to a blog post detailing the company’s investigation.
An estimated $900,000 or more in Solana (SOL) cryptocurrency has been stolen in recent campaigns by 35 CLINKSINK affiliates identified in the Mandiant probe. These affiliates typically share about 20% of the stolen crypto with the DaaS operator, who raked in more than $180,000 in SOL since New Year’s Eve, according to the blog post.
Meanwhile, Mandiant is facing scrutiny after admitting that “some team transitions and a change in X’s 2FA policy” resulted in the security lapse that led to the hijacking.
Mandiant is one of several well-known organizations caught up in a recent string of X account hijackings, which most recently hit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an incident that briefly shook up the Bitcoin market.
Mandiant’s X/Twitter hack explanation, 2FA lapse questioned by critics
Mandiant noted in its blog post that no Mandiant or Google Cloud systems, other than its X account, were compromised in the hours-long incident on Jan. 3.
Referring to a likely “brute force” attack, the company’s statements published on X Wednesday afternoon seem to imply an attacker targeted the social media account by trying multiple passwords until they successfully logged in.
In replies to Mandiant’s post, some critics noted that this explanation was questionable due to X’s policy of temporarily locking accounts after a “limited number of failed attempts” to log in.
“Not possible due to rate limitation except if the password was 123Password,” one user commented.
The exact number of failed attempts needed to trigger this measure is not provided by X, so SC Media tested the log in feature on a personal X account. We received a notice that the account was locked on the sixth attempt to log in with the wrong password.
No alerts about the failed log-in attempts were sent to the email address linked to the account, and we were also able to access the account, during the temporary lock out period, using the option to sign in with Google/Gmail.
Mandiant did not elaborate on the two-factor authentication (2FA) policy change that contributed to the breach, but this likely refers to X’s removal of the SMS 2FA option for non-Premium subscribers on March 20, 2023.
If this is the case, Mandiant’s account likely had no 2FA protection when it was compromised. X users can still use the authentication app or security key methods of 2FA for free.
“We’ve made changes to our process to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Mandiant said in its statement.
A Google spokesperson declined to provide additional details about the incident to SC Media.
CLINKSINK affiliates impersonate legitimate crypto sites to drain wallets
After compromising Mandiant’s X account, which has more than 123,000 followers, the hijacker changed the account handle to @phantomsolw, impersonating the legitimate Phantom crypto wallet.
In a post on the hacked account, the CLINKSINK affiliate promoted a supposed opportunity to claim free $PHNTM tokens by clicking a link. Upon clicking the link, users would be urged to connect their Solana wallet and sign a transaction to claim the promotional token airdrop.
The JavaScript-based CLINKSINK drainer linked to the phishing site performs checks to verify that victims have the Phantom Desktop Wallet installed and is capable of surveying connected Solana wallets to check details, including balances. CLINKSINK is also set up to split the drained funds between the affiliate and operator accounts, usually at a ratio of 80% and 20%, respectively.
In the case of the Mandiant hijacking, the phishing scheme failed due to Phantom recognizing the site as malicious and blocking users from connecting their wallets, BleepingComputer reported.
The hijacker later deleted the phishing tweet and resorted to using the Mandiant account to mock the company with messages like “Check bookmarks when you get your account back.”
Mandiant identified other legitimate crypto utilities like DappRadar and BONK being used in related CLINKSAFE campaigns across social media platforms, including X and Discord.
CertiK, Netgear and Hyundai Middle East & Africa (MEA) have also had their X accounts hacked in cryptocurrency-draining schemes this year, but there is no confirmation that these incidents were also linked to CLINKSINK.
The cryptocurrency market offers hundreds of different investment options, but two of them control most of the action: bitcoin and ethereum. As recently as last year, the combined market cap of both platforms made up more than 70% of the global crypto market, according to U.S. News & World Report.
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So which is a better bet for investors? During a recent interview with CoinDesk, businessman and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary suggested his preference.
Also see five reasons you need at least one bitcoin.
O’Leary shared during the interview that his preference is bitcoin. “If you want exposure to crypto volatility, it’s bitcoin,” O’Leary said. “There’s a lot of people that say, ‘I don’t need anything else … I’ll just buy bitcoin.’ And they haven’t been wrong … I think it’ll be very hard to dethrone it.”
As for ethereum, O’Leary spent much of his time bemoaning its lack of speed and efficiency.
“Goodness, ETH is slow,” he said. “I’m sorry, but it’s slow, and I think a lot of people know that. And the more transactions get piled on it, it doesn’t get any better.”
Learn More: Coinbase Fees: Full Breakdown of How To Minimize Costs
O’Leary has plenty of company in backing bitcoin over ethereum.
Part of bitcoin’s allure is that it has become a dominant crypto force in both size and name recognition. It has grown so big that it recently leapfrogged Google parent Alphabet to rank as world’s sixth-largest asset by market cap, The Market Periodical reported.
From a pure investment standpoint, bitcoin has definitely been the better bet recently. Its price is up about 12% in 2025 as of June 13 and has gained about 56% over the past year. In contrast, ethereum’s price is down about 23% in 2025 and has lost more than 27% over the past year.
If you’re new to crypto, it’s important to understand the differences between bitcoin and ethereum, because it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.
As U.S. News reported, bitcoin’s network uses a proof-of-work verification system. Ethereum, on the other hand, uses a proof-of-stake system, which U.S. News called “less energy-intensive.” Additionally, the main purpose of bitcoin is to serve as a digital currency that’s an alternative to other currencies, while ethereum is a platform that runs smart contracts, U.S. News explained.
According to VanEck, a New York-based investment management firm, both bitcoin and ethereum have seen their prices fluctuate significantly over the years. Despite that, VanEck noted that bitcoin has been the outperformer, remaining more stable than ethereum.
Crypto
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New UK-based program allows first-time users to begin regulated Bitcoin mining with no upfront costs or hardware requirements
LONDON, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DN Miner, a FCA regulated crypto platform, has announced a new initiative that offers free cloud mining access to newly registered users. The program is designed to provide a hands-on introduction to Bitcoin mining without the technical barriers traditionally associated with the process.
By offering complimentary starting balances upon account creation, DN Miner allows individuals to engage in short-term cloud mining contracts using its hosted mining infrastructure. This setup enables users to observe and understand how cryptocurrency mining functions in practice—without investing in specialized equipment or software.
Available mining contracts vary in duration and estimated yield, giving users the ability to select options aligned with their comfort level and goals. Once minimum balance thresholds are reached, users can request withdrawals through multiple supported channels. In an effort to maintain simplicity.
Mining Contract Options:
| Contract Term | Contract Price | Daily Reward | Total Reward(Principal Returned) | Daily Return Rate | ||
| 1 day | $350 | $10.5 | $350+$10.5 | 3.0% | ||
| 3 day | $500 | $16 | $500 + $48 | 3.2% | ||
| 4 days | $1000 | $35 | $1000 + $140 | 3.5% | ||
| 5 days | $3000 | $114 | $3000 + $570 | 3.8% | ||
| 2 days | $12000 | $576 | $12000+$1152 | 4.8% | ||
The company notes that while the platform is accessible to beginners, the underlying activity of mining remains subject to market-driven volatility. Factors such as network difficulty, asset valuation, and mining congestion can influence daily returns. DN Miner encourages users to consider these variables when evaluating their participation in digital asset operations.
DN Miner operates under regulatory supervision by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This oversight ensures that the platform maintains a high standard of transparency, user data security, and legal compliance. All mining infrastructure is hosted in certified data centers that use industrial-grade ASIC equipment to support consistent uptime and competitive performance across supported cryptocurrencies.
About DN Miner
DN Miner is a UK-regulated digital asset platform providing cloud-based access to cryptocurrency mining. Through remote infrastructure hosted in secure data centers, DN Miner enables users to participate in digital asset production without the need for hardware ownership or software management. The platform prioritizes regulatory compliance, operational transparency, and user education in all of its offerings.
Media Contact:
Darlene Evan
info@dnminer.com
+4407787938609
https://dnminer.com/
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e42f006e-7ab6-4512-aae9-5efcf195d024
Image by DN Miner
Image by DN Miner
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