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News Security Apr 6, 2026, 1:25 AM
Emerging

$285 Million Drift Hack Traced to Six-Month DPRK Social Engineering Operation

Drift has revealed that the April 1, 2026, attack that led to the theft of $285 million was the culmination of a months-long targeted and meticulously planned social engineering operation undertaken by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that began in the fall of 2025. The Solana-based decentralized exchange described it as "an attack six months in the making," attributing it with medium confidence to a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group dubbed UNC4736 , which is also tracked under the cyptonyms AppleJeus, Citrine Sleet, Golden Chollima, and Gleaming Pisces. This piece sits on 1 source layers, but the real value is showing why the story should not be skimmed past too quickly.

Drift has revealed that the April 1, 2026, attack that led to the theft of $285 million was the culmination of a months-long targeted and meticulously planned social engineering operation undertaken by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that began in the fall of 2025. The Solana-based decentralized exchange described it as "an attack six months in the making," attributing it with medium confidence to a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group dubbed UNC4736 , which is also tracked under the cyptonyms AppleJeus, Citrine Sleet, Golden Chollima, and Gleaming Pisces. The signal is strong enough to deserve attention, but it still needs to be read as something developing rather than fully settled.

Thảo Nguyên Security and Editorial Policy Editor
Emerging The topic has initial corroboration, but the newsroom is still waiting on stronger confirmation.
Reference image for: $285 Million Drift Hack Traced to Six-Month DPRK Social Engineering Operation
Reference image from The Hacker News. The Hacker News

Drift has revealed that the April 1, 2026, attack that led to the theft of $285 million was the culmination of a months-long targeted and meticulously planned social engineering operation undertaken by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that began in the fall of 2025. The Solana-based decentralized exchange described it as "an attack six months in the making," attributing it with medium confidence to a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group dubbed UNC4736 , which is also tracked under the cyptonyms AppleJeus, Citrine Sleet, Golden Chollima, and Gleaming Pisces. The threat actor has a history of targeting the cryptocurrency sector for financial theft since at least 2018. The Hacker News is the main source layer for now, and the rest should be read as a signal that is still widening. In security, the real value is not just the warning itself but the way it changes operational risk, account safety, and the cost of responding later.

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What is happening now

Drift has revealed that the April 1, 2026, attack that led to the theft of $285 million was the culmination of a months-long targeted and meticulously planned social engineering operation undertaken by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that began in the fall of 2025. The Hacker News form the main source layer behind the core facts in this piece.

Where the sources line up

The Hacker News is the main source layer for now, and the rest should be read as a signal that is still widening. The Solana-based decentralized exchange described it as "an attack six months in the making," attributing it with medium confidence to a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group dubbed UNC4736 , which is also tracked under the cyptonyms AppleJeus, Citrine Sleet, Golden Chollima, and Gleaming Pisces. The Hacker News form the main source layer behind the core facts in this piece.

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The details worth keeping

The threat actor has a history of targeting the cryptocurrency sector for financial theft since at least 2018. In security, the real value is not just the warning itself but the way it changes operational risk, account safety, and the cost of responding later.

Why this matters most

The signal is strong enough to deserve attention, but it still needs to be read as something developing rather than fully settled. With 1 source layers on the table, the part worth reading most closely is where firm facts meet the market's early reaction. It's best known for the X_TRADER/3CX supply chain breach in 2023 and the $53 million hack of decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Radiant Capital in October 2024.

What to watch next

The next layer to watch is scope, patch speed, and the operating cost if teams are forced to change process because of this story. Patrick Tech Media will keep checking rollout speed, user reaction, and how The Hacker News update the next pieces. From 1 early signals, the piece keeps 1 references that are useful for locking the main details in place.

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