MetaMask Removes Thousands of Validators Amid Security Incident

MetaMask, a popular Ethereum wallet, has been removing thousands of validators from its non-custodial staking operations due to a security incident. The incident was first disclosed on October 1, when MetaMask said it was actively investigating a security issue affecting part of its infrastructure.

The company has confirmed that it is proactively removing affected validators as a precautionary measure while its teams work on containment and verification.

According to estimates from security researcher Kaden, around 17,000 validators holding approximately 523,000 ETH are being removed. However, MetaMask has not confirmed these figures.

Lido, a staking protocol, has confirmed that MetaMask Staking validators are being removed from its protocol. The company estimates that the full process of exiting, withdrawing, and potentially re-entering staking could take up to 45 days due to the Ethereum staking-entry queue.