Pepe Memecoin Official Website Hacked, Injected with Inferno Drainer Malware

Cybersecurity firm Blockaid issued a critical alert on December 4, 2025, revealing that the official website for the Pepe (PEPE) memecoin had been breached. Attackers successfully injected malicious code from the known Inferno Drainer toolkit into the site's front end.

This compromise caused the legitimate website to silently redirect unsuspecting visitors to fraudulent pages designed to impersonate services. These malicious pages prompted users to connect their wallets, with the ultimate goal of draining digital assets. Blockaid emphasized that this tactic remains effective because users inherently trust familiar interfaces, making them more likely to quickly authorize transactions. The malicious pages often used incentives like fake airdrops or bonuses to increase user engagement.

The incident is linked to a broader scam-as-a-service operation, with Inferno Drainer variants having been active since late 2023 despite previous claims of retirement. Security analysts warn of growing drainer activity throughout 2025, noting that compromising legitimate front-ends provides attackers with a more effective deployment method than creating independent imitation sites. Such front-end compromises can go undetected for extended periods, and code obfuscation techniques make mitigation difficult.

In the immediate aftermath, PEPE's price showed no major fluctuations, with the token up about 4% over 24 hours at the time of reporting. However, observers cautioned that reputational damage and potential re-evaluation of risk metrics by exchanges could have longer-term effects on liquidity.

Security experts strongly advised users to avoid the Pepe website entirely until the project team or trusted security publishers issue a formal all-clear. Recommendations for protection include using protective browser extensions that identify malicious endpoints, meticulously reviewing every transaction authorization, and being extremely cautious of promotional links on social media, especially for trending tokens.