Ethereum-based decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Balancer suffered an exploit resulting in a loss of nearly $900,000, the platform announced on X (formerly Twitter) on August 27. This incident occurred shortly after the disclosure of a vulnerability that impacted multiple pools on the platform.
According to blockchain security expert Meier Dolev, the attacker’s Ethereum address has been identified. The attacker received transfers of Dai stablecoin worth $636,812 and $257,527, accumulating a total balance exceeding $893,978.
Balancer’s team acknowledged the exploit and stated that although they had implemented mitigation measures that significantly reduced risks, the affected pools could not be paused. The protocol advised users to withdraw from affected liquidity providers (LPs) to prevent further exploits. Balancer first revealed a critical vulnerability impacting boosted pools on August 22, urging users to withdraw funds and pausing pools to minimize potential damage.
The vulnerability initially put around 1.4% of Balancer’s total assets at risk, equivalent to over $5 million. As of August 24, approximately $2.8 million (0.42% of the total value locked) remained exposed to the risk. Balancer recommended its users to migrate to safe pools or exit immediately if involved in “at-risk” pools.
Deployed on the Optimism network in June of the previous year, Balancer aimed to enhance user functionality and reduce fees within the DeFi ecosystem. Despite efforts to enhance security and mitigate risks, DeFi protocols remain vulnerable to exploitation, underscoring the ongoing challenges in maintaining a secure environment within the rapidly evolving decentralized financial landscape.