MANTRA Chain Offline After Upstream Exploit; Patch Test Underway

MANTRA Chain remained offline on Aug. 21 after an attacker exploited a vulnerability in an upstream dependency, stopping transaction processing, transfers and staking across the network.

The project froze API endpoints and halted transaction handling while engineers investigated the incident and its scope. A full network state snapshot was taken before restart preparations began. The incident record notes the network pause itself did not result in lost user funds and that users did not need to take action while the chain was offline.

A patched client, released as v8.4.0, is undergoing validation on the DuKong testnet. The project’s release notes on its code repository include a mainnet upgrade handler for the new version. Testnet validation is required before distributing the same software to the mainnet validator set.

Validators were instructed to keep their mainnet nodes offline until the project announces a coordinated restart. The coordination requirement prevents individual node operators from bringing services back independently and ensures the upgraded software is applied across the validator set. The team was targeting a restart later on Aug. 21, contingent on clean test results on DuKong.

While the network remains paused, on-chain activity is blocked: assets cannot be transferred on MANTRA Chain, staking operations are unavailable, and deposits and withdrawals linked to the chain remained paused on affected venues. The project is tracing fund movements, working with exchange partners and continuing to assess the full asset impact of the attacker’s activity.

The investigation into the exploit and any resulting asset movements is ongoing. A final accounting of fund flows has not yet been published; the coordinated upgrade to mainnet will proceed only after patch testing completes and validators confirm readiness.