Qubic halted blockchain operations at tick 85,371,949 on Sunday after attackers exploited a wallet seed-generation vulnerability to steal 2.94 trillion QUBIC tokens valued at approximately $1.4 million. The network remained paused at the time of reporting as the project worked to identify affected wallets and determine how to recover the stolen assets.
The incident exposed weaknesses in the process used to generate wallet seeds, which are essential for securing access to cryptocurrency holdings. Qubic said the vulnerability affected wallet seeds created through browsers on iPhones and iPads, Safari on Mac computers before October 18, 2026, and the Qubic iOS application before July 2025.
Qubic has frozen 87.1% of the stolen funds on its own network, while the remaining 12.9% was frozen at cryptocurrency exchange MEXC, limiting the attackers’ ability to move the assets.
The project has not announced a date for resuming blockchain operations, with its immediate priorities focused on securing affected wallets, assessing recovery options, and preventing further exploitation.
Qubic Replaces Vulnerable Random Number Generator
Qubic said it had corrected the wallet seed-generation vulnerability in the latest version of its web wallet. A GitHub commit associated with version 4.26.4 showed that the project replaced JavaScript’s Math.random() function with crypto.getRandomValues() during seed creation.
The change is significant because wallet security depends on generating unpredictable cryptographic values. The Math.random() function is designed for general-purpose pseudorandom number generation rather than cryptographic security, making it unsuitable for generating sensitive wallet credentials.
By contrast, crypto.getRandomValues() provides access to cryptographically secure random values supported by modern browsers. If attackers can predict or reproduce wallet seed material, they may be able to derive access credentials and take control of the associated funds.
The replacement of the vulnerable random-number generator with a cryptographically secure method addresses the identified weakness in wallet seed creation and is intended to strengthen protection for newly generated wallets.
Users whose wallets were created through the affected platforms and periods may need to assess whether their credentials remain secure. The incident highlights the importance of reviewing wallet-generation practices and ensuring that cryptographic secrets are produced using security-focused methods.
Network Computors to Decide Recovery Plan
Qubic’s core team is identifying affected wallets and preparing potential recovery measures for a future vote by the network’s Computors, which participate in the blockchain’s decision-making process.
What happened:
Some wallet seeds were generated with insufficient randomness, making them weaker than they should be.
The attacker exploited this to access the affected wallets.
The issue was in seed generation, not in the Qubic protocol itself.
— Qubic (@_Qubic_) October 18, 2026
The vote is expected to determine how the frozen funds should be handled. However, the project has not yet disclosed the available recovery options or established a timeline for the decision.
Qubic also plans to publish a comprehensive technical report after a recovery plan has been finalized. The report is expected to provide further details about the vulnerability and the incident’s consequences.
The network’s suspension underscores the operational challenges blockchain projects face when responding to security breaches involving wallet credentials and substantial token transfers. Although freezing funds can prevent some transactions from progressing, recovering stolen assets may require additional technical measures and network-level decisions.
Exploit Highlights Broader Cryptocurrency Security Risks
Qubic operates as a fee-free layer-1 blockchain supporting transactions and smart contracts. Its consensus model, known as Useful Proof of Work, is designed to redirect mining resources toward artificial intelligence training.
The project’s token had a market capitalization of approximately $62.6 million at the time of reporting, according to CoinGecko.
The attack also reflects broader concerns about cryptocurrency theft arising from weaknesses in wallet security. According to AMLBot’s 2026 investigations report, which covered 250 investigations opened since the beginning of the year, hacks and exploits accounted for 19% of cryptocurrency crime cases in the third quarter but represented 40% of reported losses.
The Qubic incident demonstrates how a vulnerability in a foundational security component can expose digital assets even when the underlying blockchain is not the direct source of the weakness. The network’s next steps will depend on the recovery vote, the effectiveness of its remediation measures, and the completion of its technical investigation.
