- SAND has declined 6% following the incident.
- The Sandbox team claims the hacker did not access the organization’s other services.
NFT gaming platform, The Sandbox, cautioned its users Thursday that its systems were compromised in a security incident involving emails with malware circulated to users. Unauthorized third party reportedly accessed one of the company’s computers and started circulating emails purported to be from The Sandbox.
“On Feb. 6, we became aware that an unauthorized third party had gained access to the computer of an employee of The Sandbox. This enabled (them) to access several email addresses to which it then sent an email falsely claiming to be from The Sandbox,” the firm said.
The alleged email, titled ‘The Sandbox Game (PURELAND) Access,’ reportedly contains hyperlinks that can remotely install malware on the recipients’ computers, collect personal data, or gain full control.
See Related: Lazarus, The North Korean Hacker Group Involved In Recent Japanese Phishing Scam
The Breach Is Limited To A Single Computer
Although the level of damage from the compromise is not yet confirmed, The Sandbox team noted that the unauthorized access was only limited to a single staff computer, which was accessed via a malware application. According to the announcement, the malicious actor did not manage to access any other services.
Following the incident, the team said it had communicated to the targeted recipients, cautioning them not to open or download anything from the flagged email. They have also blocked the targeted machine, formatted its content, and reset all its passwords, pending further investigation into the situation. Sandbox has also urged users to use stronger passwords, not to click hyperlinks, install antivirus software on their computers, or consult an IT professional to protect their systems.
See Related: Singapore Police Cautions Investors Against FTX Phishing Scams
The Impact On SAND
The incident has caused the price of Sandbox’s utility token, SAND, to drop 6% in the past 24 hours, according to CoinMaketCap, besides the other factors causing turmoil in the crypto space, like the uncertainty surrounding Silvergate. The crypto-friendly bank faces a flight of some of its major clients, including Coinbase, Circle, and CryptoCom after announcing that it would delay releasing its 10-K filing amidst uncertainty in its financial health.
