shield Arbitrary Call · $120K loss

CowSwap Arbitrary Call postmortem (February 2023) — $120K drained

On February 2023, – CowSwap was exploited in a arbitrary call, resulting in approximately $120K in losses. That makes the – CowSwap exploit the 200th largest DeFi incident out of 690 documented in our archive.

Attack Mechanics: How the – CowSwap Arbitrary Call Played Out

Exploit Class Applied to – CowSwap

The – CowSwap incident on February 7, 2023 is classified as a Arbitrary Call. The contract executes an external call with attacker-controlled target or calldata, letting them impersonate the contract. In the full archive, – CowSwap is 1 of 21 documented arbitrary call incidents.

– CowSwap in Context

At $120K, the – CowSwap exploit is a minor (<$1M) event compared to the largest same-class incident in our archive — Seneca (2024) at $6M.

Prior Arbitrary Call Before – CowSwap

The nearest arbitrary call incident before – CowSwap was – Rubic, 44 days earlier on December 25, 2022 ($1.5M lost). The same exploit class surfaced again within the arbitrary call attack surface.

– CowSwap Vulnerability Signature

The primary source categorises the – CowSwap exploit specifically as “Arbitrary External Call Vulnerability”. This narrower label is entity-specific: it reflects how the – CowSwap contract failed, rather than the broad arbitrary call pattern alone.

Impact & Recovery for – CowSwap

– CowSwap Loss Figure

The – CowSwap exploit caused $120,000 in losses — a minor (<$1M) incident and the 77th largest of 214 documented in 2023.

Where – CowSwap Sits Among Arbitrary Call Attacks

Ranked by loss size, – CowSwap is the 8th largest of 21 arbitrary call incidents documented. That puts the – CowSwap loss below the class average of $783.5K.

Timeline Since the – CowSwap Incident

The – CowSwap exploit occurred 3.2 years ago (1,162 days). The contract, its fork-block, and the attack transaction remain on-chain and forensically reproducible.

Primary Reference for – CowSwap

Public post-mortem / on-chain analysis for the – CowSwap incident: view source.

FAQ

How much did – CowSwap lose?

The – CowSwap exploit in February 2023 resulted in $120,000 in losses — the 77th largest of 214 DeFi incidents that year.

When did the – CowSwap hack happen?

The – CowSwap exploit was recorded on February 7, 2023 — 1,162 days ago.

What type of exploit hit – CowSwap?

The – CowSwap incident is classified as a Arbitrary Call. The contract executes an external call with attacker-controlled target or calldata, letting them impersonate the contract.

How common is the Arbitrary Call pattern seen at – CowSwap?

Our archive contains 21 documented arbitrary call incidents. The – CowSwap incident is one of them.

How does – CowSwap compare to the largest Arbitrary Call attack?

The largest arbitrary call incident in our archive is Seneca (2024) at $6M. The – CowSwap loss is $120K.

How does the 'one-click-tangle' project contribute to IOTA's network setup?

It provides utilities for setting up a private IOTA network, facilitating the transition to a fully decentralized architecture.

What challenges are mentioned regarding the implementation of sustainability practices?

Difficulties include integrating sustainability into strategic planning and ensuring practices are applied consistently across departments.