C&M Hack: $140M Stolen After Employee Sells Bank Credentials

HomeNews* A breach at C&M Software in Brazil led to the theft of $140 million from six banks tied to the central bank.

• An employee allegedly sold login credentials for about $2,700, granting Hackers access to financial systems.
• Investigators found hackers laundered $30 million to $40 million using Bitcoin, Ether, and USDt via Latin American exchanges.
• The event highlights the risks posed by centralized digital financial systems and single points of failure.
• Experts point to decentralized blockchain methods as a way to reduce the appeal of future attacks. On Wednesday, hackers invaded the digital systems of C&M Software, a service connecting Brazil’s Central Bank to several local financial institutions. The unauthorized entry resulted in nearly $140 million stolen from six banks associated with the central bank.

• Advertisement - The breach happened after an employee of C&M Software reportedly sold his login credentials to the attackers for roughly $2,700. According to São Paulo news outlet Hacker-quem-e-suspeito-de-entregar-acesso-ao-sistema-que-liga-bancos-do-pix.ghtml” rel=”noopener nofollow”>Sao Paulo Globo, this allowed criminals to access key software and withdraw funds held in reserve accounts.

Blockchain researcher ZachXBT reported that hackers converted between $30 million and $40 million of the stolen money into Bitcoin, Ether, and USDt, laundering the assets through Latin American crypto exchanges and over-the-counter trading desks. Authorities arrested the employee alleged to have provided access.

Security analysts highlight that centralized financial systems are attractive to criminals because a single entry point can expose large amounts of sensitive data and client accounts. Chainalysis noted an increase in attacks on centralized crypto exchanges in late 2024, with hackers taking advantage of single points of failure. Eran Barak, CEO of Shielded Technologies, pointed out that the growing use of Artificial Intelligence tools is making these systems even more vulnerable.

Barak said that decentralized blockchain systems using tools like zero-knowledge proofs force criminals to focus on individual accounts rather than a central database. “Their return on investment (ROI) would be one record instead of millions — not worth it. They are going to go elsewhere,” he said.

Crypto industry data shows that while overall losses reached $2.5 billion in the first half of 2025, the number of successful hacks decreased in the second quarter, according to Chainalysis. The incident adds to concerns about Cybersecurity risks in modern financial infrastructure.

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