Hacker creates 1 billion fake DOT tokens on Ethereum, steals $237K via exploit in Hyperbridge smart contract

A cybercriminal exploited a security flaw in the Hyperbridge gateway smart contract on Ethereum to create 1 billion unauthorized bridged Polkadot (DOT) tokens. The attacker liquidated these fake tokens in a single transaction, earning about 108.2 ETH (roughly $237,000). The incident only affected the Ethereum-based bridged DOT tokens, leaving Polkadot’s main network and genuine DOT tokens secure. The shallow liquidity of the bridged tokens limited the financial damage, and investigations into the exploit method are ongoing.