Hack history / 2025 / Hack or exploit
Cetus CLMM
Hack or exploit on May 22, 2025 · Arithmetic Error
SOURCES AGREE ON DATE AND LOSS · 4 SOURCES
Lost
$223M
dollars at the time
Returned
$163M
73% of the loss, as a source states it
Rank
#28
among thefts by dollars lost
What happened
Cetus CLMM on Sui suffered a math error in its checked_shlw function where an incorrect overflow threshold (0xffffffffffffffff << 192 instead of 1 << 192) allowed attackers to craft positions with phantom liquidity. Using flashloans to manipulate prices and create tight tick ranges, attackers minted enormous liquidity while depositing minimal real tokens, then withdrew actual reserves.
Details
- Date
- May 22, 2025
- Kind
- Hack or exploit
- Method
- Arithmetic Error
- How in
- Smart contract bug
- Target
- DeFi protocol
- Chains
- Sui
After the theft
- Frozen
- yes, amount not stated
“The project announced shortly after that $162 million of the funds had been frozen.” (SlowMist Hacked) - Recovered or frozen
- $163M
“$223.0M taken, $60.0M after recovery or freezing” (Web3 Is Going Great)
Related incidents
Cite this page
SwanBluechip, "Cetus CLMM hack, May 22, 2025: $223M lost", Crypto hack history, https://swan-hack-tracker.pages.dev/history/i/ht20e34e603c/ (data as of 2026-10-31).