IN A PICKLE AS ATTACKER SWIPES 20 MILLION IN EVIL JAR EXPLOIT

Last updated: June 19, 2025, 19:28 | Written by: Cathie Wood

The world of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is known for its innovation and potential, but it also comes with significant risks.Recent headlines highlight these risks, as yet another DeFi protocol, Pickle Finance, has fallen victim to a sophisticated exploit.In a devastating blow, an attacker managed to siphon off a staggering $20 million, leaving the project and its users reeling.This incident, dubbed the ""Evil Jar"" exploit, serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that still plague the DeFi space, even for projects vetted and praised within the cryptocurrency community. 繼 Harvest Finance、Value DeFi 等 DeFi 項目遭駭之後，曾受 V 神盛讚的 DeFi 協議 Pickle Finance 也於今日傳出災情。根據 Ethersacan 數據，Pickle Finance 昨（21）日才剛上線新聚合器「DAI PickleJar」，不到一天時間，就被駭客發現智能合約的漏洞，移轉出全部的 cDAI，遭駭客盜走了 1,970 萬美元。The attack underscores the constant need for rigorous security audits and innovative defense mechanisms to safeguard user funds in this rapidly evolving landscape. Crypto hedge fund Pantera Capital files for massive $134 million raise PANews Blockchain is good for hodling, but not for voting: Bad Crypto news of the weekThis article delves into the details of the Pickle Finance hack, exploring how the exploit occurred, its impact on the project, and the broader implications for the future of DeFi security. Author: PANews. This article represents the views of the PANews columnist and does not represent PANews' position. PANews assumes no legal responsibility.We'll examine the technical intricacies of the ""Evil Jar"" attack, providing insights for both developers and users looking to understand and mitigate these risks.

Understanding the Pickle Finance Attack

Pickle Finance, launched in September, quickly gained popularity as a yield aggregation service.It rewarded users who provided liquidity to various stablecoin pools with interest and its native digital asset, PICKLE. The perils of decentralized finance in the spotlight yet again after the latest major DeFi exploitThe recent attack targeted one of Pickle Finance's core components: its ""PickleJars,"" which are essentially yield-bearing vaults. A Private Investor is a recipient of the information who meets all of the conditions set out below, the recipientThe attacker exploited a vulnerability within the smart contract responsible for managing the cDAI PickleJar, leading to the substantial loss of funds.

The Evil Jar Exploit Explained

The exploit was described by the Pickle Finance team as a ""very complicated attack"" involving multiple components of the protocol. Os perigos das finan as descentralizadas est o sob os holofotes mais uma vez ap s o ltimo grande roubo nas DeFi Em outro ataque a um grande protocolo de finan as descentralizadas (DeFi), o projeto de farming Pickle Finance teve US$ 20 milh es hackeados no s bado. O ataque ocorreu no fim do dia, e os usu rios do Twitter experientes em [ ]Here's a simplified breakdown of how the attacker pulled it off:

Copycat Jar Creation: The attacker created a malicious, copycat version of the pDAI PickleJar, cleverly named the ""Evil Jar.""
Exploiting the Swap Function: The core of the exploit involved manipulating the way funds were exchanged between the attacker's ""Evil Jar"" and the real cDAI Jar.
Draining the Vault: By exploiting a flaw in this exchange mechanism, the attacker was able to effectively drain the $20 million in deposits from the legitimate cDAI Jar.

Essentially, the attacker tricked the system into believing the ""Evil Jar"" was a legitimate source of funds, allowing them to siphon off the deposits intended for the real yield-bearing vault.This highlights a critical flaw in the smart contract's validation process.

The Immediate Aftermath and Impact

The impact of the attack was felt almost immediately. PANews App 24小时追踪区块链行业资讯，行业深度文章解析News of the exploit spread quickly through the crypto community, and users noticed the cDAI jar had been emptied. The perils of decentralized finance in the spotlight yet again after the latest major DeFi exploit In yet another attack on a major decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, farming project Pickle Finance has been exploited today to the tune of $20 million. The attack transpired roughly two hours ago, and ETH-savvy Twitter users were quick to notice MoreThe price of PICKLE, the governance token of Pickle Finance, plummeted by almost half its value.According to statistics reported around the time, roughly $75 million of total value remained locked in Pickle Finance protocols despite the incident. In yet another attack on a major decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, farming project Pickle Finance has been exploited today to the tune of $20 million. The attack transpired roughly two hours ago, and ETH-savvy Twitter users were quick to notice that pickle 8217;s cDAI jar 8212; Pickle 8217;s term for a yield-bearing vault 8212; hadThis indicates some level of continued trust, but the long-term effects remain to be seen.

Price Drop: The value of the PICKLE token saw a significant decrease, reflecting investor concerns.
Loss of Trust: The hack eroded user trust in the platform, raising questions about the security of their funds.
Paused Operations: Pickle Finance likely had to pause some of its operations to investigate the incident and implement security measures.

DeFi Security: A Continuing Challenge

The Pickle Finance exploit is just one example of the many security challenges facing the DeFi space. In yet another attack on a major decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, farming project Pickle Finance has been exploited today to the tune of $20 million. The attack transpired roughly two hours ago, and ETH-savvy Twitter users were quick to notice that pickle s cDAI jar Pickle s term for a yield-bearing vault had been emptied:Other projects, such as Harvest Finance and Value DeFi, have also suffered significant losses due to exploits.These incidents highlight the critical need for enhanced security measures and rigorous auditing practices.

Common DeFi Attack Vectors

Understanding the common ways DeFi protocols are attacked is crucial for both developers and users. Please note, this is a STATIC archive of website cointelegraph.com from, cach3.com does not collect or store any user information, there is no phishing involved.Here are some of the most prevalent attack vectors:

Flash Loan Attacks: Exploiting vulnerabilities using flash loans (loans with no collateral that must be repaid within the same transaction) to manipulate market prices or smart contract logic.
Reentrancy Attacks: An attacker calls a contract function that calls another function in the attacker's contract before the first function completes, allowing the attacker to repeatedly withdraw funds.
Oracle Manipulation: Exploiting vulnerabilities in price oracles (services that provide real-world data to smart contracts) to manipulate prices and profit from arbitrage opportunities.
Integer Overflow/Underflow: Exploiting integer overflow or underflow vulnerabilities in smart contracts to manipulate values and bypass security checks.
Logic Errors: Exploiting flaws in the smart contract's logic to manipulate the flow of funds or gain unauthorized access.

Securing Your DeFi Investments

While developers are responsible for creating secure protocols, users also have a role to play in protecting their DeFi investments. Instead, the attacker was able to steal the funds by creating a copycat version of the pDAI Pickle Jar, which has been dubbed Evil Jar . The team desribed the exploit as a very complicated attack that involved many components of the Pickle protocol .Here are some tips for staying safe:

Do Your Research: Before investing in any DeFi project, thoroughly research the team, the technology, and the security measures in place.
Understand the Risks: DeFi investments are inherently risky.Be aware of the potential for hacks, exploits, and rug pulls.
Diversify Your Holdings: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.Diversify your DeFi investments across multiple protocols.
Use Hardware Wallets: Store your cryptocurrency in a hardware wallet to protect it from online attacks.
Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest DeFi security news and best practices.

Pantera Capital's Continued Interest in Crypto

Despite the risks and recent exploits, institutional investors like Pantera Capital continue to see potential in the cryptocurrency market. Looking to understand the DEFI Pickle Finance flash loan attack in-a-pickle-as-attacker-swipes-20-million-in-evil-jar-exploit 49.97 million USDC into HarvestPantera Capital recently filed for a massive $134 million raise, demonstrating their commitment to the long-term growth of the blockchain industry.This investment signals that, even with the inherent risks, the potential rewards of DeFi and crypto investments are still attractive to sophisticated investors. $pickle in a pickle as attacker swipes $20 million in evil jar exploitIt also underscores the importance of ongoing development and innovation in security solutions within the DeFi space.

Where Are the Stolen Funds Now?

According to reports, the money stolen from Pickle Finance remains in a dormant wallet controlled by the attacker. White hat hackers were able to track 19,759,355 DAI tokens to the Pickle Finance cDAI jar attacker swipes $20 million in evil jar million exploit after $90As of now, it has not been laundered through various exchanges.This provides a glimmer of hope that the funds may eventually be recovered, although the process is likely to be complex and lengthy. On 22nd November 2025, Pickle Finance, a DeFi protocol, fell victim to a cyber incident with the primary motive being financial gain. The attack involved the exfiltration of approximately $20 million worth of users' funds in DAI tokens from the Pickle Finance smart contract known as DAI PickleJar.White hat hackers and blockchain analysts are likely working to track the movement of these funds and identify the attacker.

The Challenges of Tracking and Recovering Stolen Crypto

Tracking and recovering stolen cryptocurrency is a challenging process for several reasons:

Anonymity: Cryptocurrency transactions are pseudonymous, making it difficult to identify the real-world identities of attackers.
Decentralization: The decentralized nature of blockchain makes it difficult for law enforcement to seize or freeze stolen funds.
Global Reach: Attackers can operate from anywhere in the world, making it difficult to prosecute them.
Mixers and Tumblers: Attackers often use mixers and tumblers to obfuscate the origin of stolen funds.

Despite these challenges, blockchain analytics firms are constantly developing new tools and techniques to track and recover stolen crypto. investors ask me about negatives of defi projects and I give the same answers- attacks and shitty project. Be careful with crypto in general but newThese tools can help identify patterns in transaction data, trace the movement of funds, and even identify potential suspects.

The Role of Audits and Formal Verification

The Pickle Finance exploit highlights the importance of comprehensive security audits and formal verification in DeFi development.Audits involve a thorough review of smart contract code by independent security experts to identify potential vulnerabilities.Formal verification uses mathematical techniques to prove that a smart contract behaves as intended, eliminating the possibility of logical errors.

Benefits of Security Audits

Identify Vulnerabilities: Audits can uncover hidden vulnerabilities that developers may have missed.
Improve Code Quality: Audits can help improve the overall quality and robustness of smart contract code.
Increase User Confidence: A publicly available audit report can increase user confidence in a DeFi project.

The Power of Formal Verification

Eliminate Logic Errors: Formal verification can mathematically prove that a smart contract is free of logical errors.
Reduce Attack Surface: Formal verification can help reduce the attack surface of a smart contract by identifying and eliminating potential vulnerabilities.
Enhance Security Guarantees: Formal verification provides stronger security guarantees than traditional testing methods.

Looking Ahead: The Future of DeFi Security

The Pickle Finance incident is a valuable lesson for the entire DeFi community. Tidal DeFi Attack User Impact Recap - $20 Million Pickle Finance Hack (May 12) Pickle Was Hacked And There Has Been A Loss Of Funds (May 12) DeFi Protocol Pickle Finance Hacked For $20 Million - Decrypt (May 12) DeFi Protocol Pickle Finance Token Loses Almost Half Its Value After $19.7m Hack (May 13) evil-jar/readme.md at master banteg/evilIt underscores the need for a multi-faceted approach to security that includes:

Enhanced Security Audits: More thorough and frequent security audits conducted by reputable firms.
Formal Verification: Increased adoption of formal verification techniques to ensure the correctness of smart contract code.
Bug Bounty Programs: Robust bug bounty programs that incentivize ethical hackers to find and report vulnerabilities.
Insurance Protocols: DeFi insurance protocols that protect users against losses due to hacks and exploits.
Community Education: Increased education for users about the risks and best practices of DeFi investing.

The DeFi space is constantly evolving, and so too must the security measures that protect it.By embracing these strategies, the DeFi community can work towards a more secure and trustworthy future.

The Broader Implications for Decentralized Finance

The ""Evil Jar"" exploit affecting Pickle Finance, resulting in a loss of $20 million, serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in the burgeoning world of DeFi.While DeFi promises a transparent and accessible financial system, these kinds of incidents can severely undermine public trust and impede wider adoption.It raises serious questions about the due diligence processes, smart contract security, and the overall resilience of these protocols.

Questioning the Trade-Off Between Innovation and Security

Many DeFi projects prioritize rapid innovation and feature development over robust security measures.This approach can lead to the deployment of untested code and an increased risk of exploits. $pickle in a pickle as attacker swipes $20 million in evil jar exploit Stake Cryptocurrency Support Electricity Privacy Transaction MoneyThe Pickle Finance case highlights the need for a more balanced approach, where security is given equal, if not greater, weight than innovation. Para el momento de la publicaci n de este art culo, el sitio web de estad sticas de Pickle inform casi USD 75 millones de valor total bloqueado quedan en los registros, mientras que el precio de PICKLE, el token de gobernanza de Pickle Finance, baj un 50% y actualmente cotiza a USD 11.16.Speed and agility are beneficial, but not at the cost of user safety and financial stability.

Regulators Taking Notice

As DeFi continues to grow in popularity and impact, regulators around the world are beginning to pay closer attention. About Pickle Finance Pickle came on the scene Sept. 11 as one of many food-themed DeFi projects. Pickle Finance is a yield aggregation service that rewards users who provide liquidity to its various pools of stablecoins with interest and token disbursements in ether, other stablecoins or its native digital asset PICKLE.Incidents like the Pickle Finance hack could accelerate the regulatory scrutiny of the DeFi space, potentially leading to stricter rules and oversight. The perils of decentralized finance in the spotlight yet again after the latest major DeFi exploit. In yet another attack on a major decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, farming project Pickle Finance has been exploited today to the tune of $20 million.While regulation can stifle innovation, it can also provide a necessary framework for protecting consumers and ensuring the stability of the financial system.

The Need for a More Mature DeFi Ecosystem

The DeFi space is still in its early stages, and it is characterized by a high degree of experimentation and risk. The attacker then exchanged funds between his bad jar and the real cDAI Jar, taking the $20 million in deposits. At the moment the money stolen from the hacker is still in the dormant wallet and yet to be laundered to various exchanges.To achieve mainstream adoption, DeFi needs to mature and address the security vulnerabilities that plague it.This includes investing in better auditing tools, formal verification methods, and robust insurance protocols. Em outro ataque a um grande protocolo de finan as descentralizadas (DeFi), o projeto de farming Pickle Finance teve US$ 20 milh es hackeados no s bado. O ataque ocorreu no fim do dia, e os usu rios do Twitter experientes em ETH foram r pidos em notar que o jarro cDAI do Picke ('jarro' o termo usado pelo protocolo para um cofre deIt also requires a shift in mindset, where security is prioritized over speed and innovation.

Conclusion: Learning from the $PICKLE Exploit

The Pickle Finance ""Evil Jar"" exploit is a sobering reminder of the challenges and risks inherent in the DeFi space. Skip to main content Bitcoin Insider. MenuThe theft of $20 million underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures, rigorous auditing, and a more mature approach to DeFi development.While the future of the stolen funds remains uncertain, the incident serves as a valuable learning opportunity for developers, users, and the broader DeFi community. Let s stay in touch:By prioritizing security and embracing best practices, we can work towards a more trustworthy and resilient decentralized financial system.The key takeaways are clear: prioritize security audits, understand the risks involved in DeFi, and diversify your investments.Let's hope that with increased awareness and proactive measures, we can prevent future ""pickles"" from happening in the world of decentralized finance.