{"id":28240,"date":"2020-09-05T12:49:37","date_gmt":"2020-09-05T09:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=28240"},"modified":"2025-08-27T10:29:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T07:29:49","slug":"chainlink-nodes-spent-700-eth-to-process-requests-during-spam-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/chainlink-nodes-spent-700-eth-to-process-requests-during-spam-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Chainlink Nodes Spent 700 ETH to Process Requests During Spam Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine Chainlink node operators, playing a pivotal role in the DeFi segment, came under attack. As a result, 700 ETH were spent from the project’s hot wallets, The Block<\/a><\/p>\n

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A source familiar with the situation said that on August 30 attackers sent price-data requests to the nodes. As a result, their operators were forced to incur substantial Ethereum transaction fees.<\/p>\n

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The Certus One node operator lost 20 ETH in the attack, worth about $7,500 at the time.<\/p>\n

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Representatives from Chainlink confirmed the attack, but declined to specify its scale. They noted that on Sunday there was a brief spam attempt that lasted about two hours.<\/p>\n

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Chainlink emphasised that the attackers’ plan failed, “the attack did not substantially affect the operation of the network or its price feeds”.<\/p>\n

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“The failure of the attempt to spam the Chainlink network demonstrates how resilient it has become.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Chainlink oracles deliver data to smart contracts on the blockchain via node operators. The latter receive compensation for their work in LINK tokens.<\/p>\n

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The attacker could execute the attack by using the operators’ unused gas to issue Chi tokens via the 1inch.Exchange decentralized exchange aggregator.<\/p>\n

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Chi is a tokenised form of gas. The token allows hedging the risks of excessive gas-price volatility.<\/p>\n

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As soon as the attacker submits a request for price data, the corresponding node responds, which “spends a lot of gas”. The organiser of the attack managed to earn “a portion of that gas”, the publication’s source explained.<\/p>\n

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Taking advantage of high gas prices<\/a>, the attacker issued Chi tokens. They then swapped the coins for more liquid ETH and used the Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash to cover their tracks.<\/p>\n

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Chainlink plans to expand oracle capabilities<\/a> using DECO, a solution developed at Cornell University.<\/p>\n

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Chainlink has risen 800% since the start of the year: hype, speculation or technology<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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