Ethereum Updates: Centralized DNS Compromise Highlights DeFi Weaknesses as Aerodrome Suffers $1 Million Loss

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Ethereum Updates: Centralized DNS Compromise Highlights DeFi Weaknesses as Aerodrome Suffers $1 Million Loss

Bitget-RWA2025/11/23 07:08

By:Bitget-RWA

- Aerodrome Finance suffered a DNS hijacking attack on Nov 22, 2025, redirecting users to phishing sites that siphoned over $1M in assets through deceptive transaction approvals. - Attackers exploited vulnerabilities in centralized domain registrar Box Domains, forcing users to approve unlimited access to NFTs and stablecoins via two-stage signature requests. - The protocol shut down compromised domains, urged ENS-based access, and revoked recent token approvals, marking its second major front-end breach i

Aerodrome Finance, the top decentralized exchange (DEX) on Coinbase's Base network, is currently probing a possible DNS hijacking incident that affected its centralized web domains, leading to urgent advisories for users to steer clear of its main sites. The event, which took place on November 22, 2025, saw attackers redirecting visitors to fraudulent websites intended to deceive them into authorizing harmful transactions,

as reported by several sources

and

as reported by several sources

. The team stressed that all smart contracts are still safe, but users were instructed to access the platform through decentralized

Ethereum Name Service

(ENS) mirrors

as reported by several sources

The exploit targeted weaknesses in Aerodrome's centralized domain registrar, Box Domains, enabling cybercriminals to seize control of the .finance and .box domains. Some users reported facing misleading interfaces that

triggered signature requests followed by persistent prompts

asking for unrestricted access to assets like NFTs, ETH, and

USDC

. One affected individual described a two-step attack where an apparently harmless signature request was quickly succeeded by multiple approval prompts,

which could empty wallets if users did not notice

the permissions. Initial assessments indicate that over $1 million was stolen from compromised wallets within an hour, although

the total losses are still being determined

In response, Aerodrome disabled access to the compromised domains and

directed users to decentralized alternatives such as aero.drome.eth.limo

and aero.drome.eth.link. The team also

recommended users revoke recent token permissions

via tools like Revoke.cash to reduce exposure. This is the second significant front-end compromise for Aerodrome in 2025,

following similar breaches in late 2023

that led to more than $300,000 in user losses. The attack happened shortly after Aerodrome revealed its merger with Velodrome, a rival DEX on

Optimism

, to create a cross-chain ecosystem named "Aero". Despite the incident, the value of the AERO token held steady,

hovering around $0.67 with a 2% increase

over the past day.

This event underscores persistent security issues in DeFi, where vulnerabilities in front-end systems—unlike on-chain smart contract attacks—can be exploited without compromising the protocol’s core infrastructure.

Aerodrome's co-founder, Alexander Cutler, defended

the project's actions, highlighting that ENS-based domains and DNS infrastructure managed by multisig wallets were unaffected, and that leading security experts are involved in the investigation. Meanwhile,

the breach highlights the dangers

of depending on centralized DNS services, a widespread practice in DeFi despite the industry’s focus on decentralization.

Ethereum Updates: Centralized DNS Compromise Highlights DeFi Weaknesses as Aerodrome Suffers $1 Million Loss image 0

The Aerodrome team is

working with Box Domains

to fix the problem and has appealed for immediate assistance to address the security gap.

This incident occurs against a backdrop of declining

crypto theft losses, with October 2025 seeing the lowest monthly total of the year at $18.18 million—a sharp decrease from September’s $127 million. Nonetheless, experts caution that attackers are becoming more advanced,

employing rapid asset withdrawals and stealthy recovery tactics

that complicate defense efforts.

As the inquiry proceeds,

Aerodrome and Velodrome have assured

that liquidity pools and protocol reserves are unaffected, and they urge users to remain cautious and avoid suspicious domains until further notice.

Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

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