MetaMask exits Ethereum validators after security incident

MetaMask said Wednesday that a security incident affected part of its Ethereum staking infrastructure and that it exited affected validators as a precaution. MetaMask said it had identified no immediate threat to its wallets. Ethereum security researcher Kaden said 18 of 19 MetaMask-operated validators that earned payments for producing blocks sent those payments to an unexpected address. Kaden estimated that about 0.36 ETH had been diverted. Kaden estimated that the precautionary exits involved roughly 17,000 validators holding about 523,000 ETH. MetaMask had not confirmed Kaden's figures or explained how its systems were compromised as of Thursday afternoon in Asia. Lido said affected validators could miss rewards during an exit and re-entry process lasting up to about 45 days. Lido said stETH holders do not need to take action. Staking lets holders earn ETH by committing coins to help secure Ethereum. Operators such as MetaMask run the validators, while customers retain separate control over where their staked coins can be withdrawn.