Blockchain security firm Quantstamp has released its investigation into the June 8 security breach of the Humanity (H) token, attributing the attack to North Korean state-sponsored hacking groups. The report details a sophisticated phishing campaign that compromised a developer's device, leading to the theft of approximately 141 million H tokens worth around $36 million at the time.
How the Attack Unfolded
According to Quantstamp, attackers gained remote access to an executive’s machine via a targeted phishing email. The device contained backups of seven private keys—including an admin hot wallet key, three Ethereum Safe owner keys, and three BNB Safe owner keys—that had been inadvertently stored there since Humanity Protocol’s mainnet launch in June 2025. Using these valid credentials, the hackers were able to upgrade the H token contract on Ethereum, drain roughly 141 million tokens from the bridge, and later seize proxy administrator privileges on the BNB Smart Chain to mint an unlimited number of additional H tokens. In total, approximately 447 million tokens were affected across both chains.
North Korea Attribution
Quantstamp identified specific tools, certificate-signing patterns, and operational security methods consistent with prior attacks by groups like the Lazarus Group. This aligns with a broader pattern of North Korean cyber operations targeting the crypto sector to fund the regime, as documented by the United Nations and cybersecurity firms.
Impact on the H Token
The breach triggered a sharp sell-off, with the H token losing between 80% and 90% of its value shortly after disclosure. While the price partially recovered to around $0.214 by June 13, it remained down approximately 74% over the week. Humanity Protocol stressed that no smart contracts, bridges, or Safe architecture were exploited—the incident resulted solely from stolen private keys. The event underscores the critical importance of hardware wallet usage, multi-signature governance, and strict isolation of sensitive credentials from production environments.
