El Salvador's Chivo Wallet Hit by Major Hack, Sensitive Data Exposed

El Salvador's Chivo wallet, the official state-run Bitcoin (BTC) wallet, faces ongoing security concerns as hackers release sensitive information. CiberInteligenciaSV, a hacker group, leaked part of the Chivo ATM source code on BreachForums, following the exposure of 5.1 million Salvadorans' personal data in April. The leak includes code and VPN credentials, further compromising the platform's security. Despite the reported hack, the Salvadoran government remains silent on the issue, leaving users and the public in uncertainty.

El Salvador's Chivo Wallet Hack Exposes Sensitive Information

El Salvador's state-operated Bitcoin wallet, Chivo, has been breached once again, with hackers releasing sensitive information related to the platform.

On April 23rd, the hacker group CiberInteligenciaSV published a portion of Chivo's source code on the hacking forum BreachForums. The group stated, "This time, we bring you the code used in the Bitcoin Chivo Wallet ATMs in El Salvador. Remember, it is a government wallet, and we do not sell information. We publish everything for free."

This latest breach follows the public exposure of personal data belonging to 5.1 million Salvadorans, nearly the entire adult population of the country, in early April.

Prior to the release of the source code, VenariX, a local cybersecurity project, warned the public on April 22nd via its Telegram channel that the leak was imminent. CiberInteligenciaSV confirmed this in a post on its own Telegram channel, stating, "Tonight, we will publish part of the source code and VPN access that belongs to Chivo Wallet, free of charge. Unless, of course, one of you nosy government officials wants to talk."

Along with the source code, the group also published a file named "Codigo.rar," which contains compiled code and VPN credentials from the Chivo Wallet ATM network.

El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in September 2021, becoming the first country in the world to do so. The government heavily promoted Chivo as the official BTC wallet for citizens, allowing them to buy, sell, store, and withdraw Bitcoin.

However, Chivo has faced challenges since its launch, with users reporting numerous bugs and technical glitches.

Despite the reported hack of Chivo in early April, the Salvadoran government has remained silent on the matter. According to industry reports, no official statement has been released by the authorities, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

The implications of this breach are yet to be fully understood, but it highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures in the digital age, particularly for government-operated systems that handle sensitive information.