BREAKING: Cointelegraph Hit by Cyberattack – Just Days After CoinMarketCap Hack – Is Crypto Media Under Siege?
Crypto news giant Cointelegraph became the latest victim in a string of high-profile cyberattacks targeting the digital asset space—coming alarmingly close on the heels of CoinMarketCap's own security breach. The pattern raises urgent questions about infrastructure vulnerabilities in crypto-facing platforms.
Attack Vector Still Unclear
While technical details remain scarce, the back-to-back incidents suggest coordinated targeting—or shockingly basic security oversights. Either scenario spells trouble for an industry already battling perception issues.
Market Impact (Or Lack Thereof)
Remarkably, neither attack triggered significant price movements—proving once again that crypto markets absorb chaos like a degenerate gambler shrugging off a 3am margin call. The real damage? Erosion of trust in platforms meant to be the sector's authoritative voices.
As investigations continue, one thing's certain: The crypto media complex just entered its 'prove you're not an easy target' era—and the clock is ticking.
Security Firm Flags CoinTelegraph Frontend Hack Originating From Ad System
Scam Sniffer, a blockchain security firm, flagged the breach and posted a public alert, warning that Cointelegraph’s frontend had been compromised.
“Please be cautious,” the firm tweeted, alongside screenshots of the injected code and the fake airdrop interface. The scam was likely designed to trick users into granting wallet permissions, ultimately allowing hackers to drain all funds.
Cointelegraph later confirmed the breach and issued a warning. The company urged users not to interact with the fraudulent pop-up and emphasized that it has never issued a “CTG” token or launched an initial coin offering. It also assured readers that a fix was underway.
ALERT: We are aware of a fraudulent pop-up falsely claiming to offer “CoinTelegraph ICO Airdrops” or “CTG tokens” that are appearing on our site.
DO NOT:
– Click on these pop-ups
– Connect your wallets
– Enter any personal information
We are actively working on a fix.
According to Scam Sniffer, the malicious JavaScript code came from the site’s advertising system rather than its Core infrastructure.
Hackers Shift From Emails to Embedded Ads as Scam Tactics Evolve
The file, served via Cointelegraph’s ad partner, contained wallet-draining scripts disguised as standard ad delivery code. This technique has become more common in recent months as attackers seek to exploit vulnerabilities in trusted platforms’ third-party systems.
CoinTelegraph's frontend has been compromised. Please be cautious. pic.twitter.com/sH025Zek8p
The scam interface showed a fake reward worth $5,490 and labeled the transaction process as “secure,” “instant,” and “verified.” Once users clicked to connect their wallet, the script triggered a function that could initiate approvals and transfers without the user’s informed consent.
These types of attacks are particularly dangerous because they appear on well-known, trusted websites. Many users assume such platforms have adequate security measures and may let their guard down. This makes ad-based exploits far more effective than phishing links sent through email or social media.
Fake CTG Token Never Existed on Major Exchanges or Blockchains
The CTG token mentioned in the scam does not exist on CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, or any legitimate exchange. Neither is there a record of it on ethereum or other major blockchains. These red flags may be obvious to veteran users, but newer entrants to the space are often unaware of what to look for in a legitimate token offering.
Similar breaches have been reported across the crypto space. CoinMarketCap too experienced a comparable incident this month, where attackers embedded a wallet-draining link into a front-facing promo box on the site. In that case too, the compromise stemmed from third-party code, not the CORE platform.
As more crypto companies depend on external ad services, their surfaces for attack increase dramatically. Even if a platform is secure at the application level, malicious scripts delivered through external partners can easily bypass protections. The growing trend has prompted calls for stricter auditing of third-party integrations and more robust sandboxing of external content.
