Consensys Hired Developer With North Korea Links, Granted Internal System Access for a Month
Summary
- Consensys hired a software developer with ties to North Korea as an external contractor and allowed access to its internal systems for about a month.
- Consensys said it immediately revoked the contractor's access under its security protocols after recognizing the threat and confirmed there was no asset or data leak.
- Consensys said it plans to fully review its hiring procedures for external developers following the incident.
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Consensys, the company behind MetaMask, hired a software developer with links to North Korea as an external contractor and allowed the person to access its internal systems for about a month, according to Cointelegraph.
Cointelegraph reported on July 17 that Consensys hired a developer earlier this year who used the alias Tyler Knapp as an outside consultant. The company later discovered the individual had ties to North Korea.
Matt Corva, Consensys's chief legal officer, told Cointelegraph that "Knapp" was introduced through a trusted third-party service provider and worked with the company as a consultant, not a full-time employee. Consensys recognized the threat shortly after the referral and immediately revoked access in line with its security protocols, he added. A comprehensive investigation found no loss of assets or data, no distribution of malicious code, and no compromise to user safety.
Consensys plans to fully review its hiring procedures for external developers following the incident.
Korea Economic Daily
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