How to Recover Assets from a Compromised Wallet in 2025: Beating Sweeper Bots with EIP-7702
TL;DR
- Sweeper bots monitor the mempool and front-run any ETH you send to recover assets, making traditional rescue attempts fail.
- The old method using Flashbots was slow, only worked on mainnet, and always left residual ETH for attackers to steal.
- EIP-7702 wallet delegation lets you rescue assets by authorizing a sponsor wallet to pay gas, leaving nothing for the attacker.
- We've successfully recovered over $50,000 in NFTs (Pudgy Penguins, Sappy Seals, The Plague) and ERC20 tokens using this approach.
- Our free migration tool works across multiple EVM chains where Flashbots isn't supported, taking 5 minutes instead of hours.
- Most sweeper bots only target ERC20 tokens and ETH, they can't identify valuable NFTs yet, giving you a window to rescue them.
You send 0.01 ETH to your compromised wallet to rescue your tokens. Within seconds, it's gone. The sweeper bot got there first. You try again with 0.005 ETH. Same result. Your private key leaked somehow, and now a bot is draining every drop of ETH you send before you can move your assets.
After helping a dozen people recover assets from compromised wallets, including one case with over $25,000 in Pudgy Penguins, Sappy Seals, and The Plague NFTs, we've seen every mistake people make. Most guides tell you to use Flashbots or try to manually time your transactions. That's outdated advice that wastes time and money. Here's what actually works in 2025.
The solution is EIP-7702 wallet delegation. It lets you authorize another wallet to pay for gas on behalf of your compromised wallet, bypassing the sweeper bot entirely. We built a free tool that automates this process and works on chains where Flashbots doesn't exist.
Understanding Sweeper Bot Attacks
Sweeper bots are automated scripts that monitor your wallet 24/7 waiting for incoming ETH. The moment you send funds to your compromised wallet, the bot detects it in the mempool before the transaction confirms and immediately submits a higher gas transaction to drain it. This happens in milliseconds.
The attack pattern is simple but effective. The attacker has your private key from a phishing site, malware, or a leaked seed phrase. They deploy a bot that watches the mempool for any transaction sending ETH to your address. When it detects incoming ETH, it calculates the exact amount minus gas costs and submits a transaction to send everything to their wallet with higher gas priority.
You cannot outrun them with manual transactions. The bot operates faster than humanly possible and will always front-run your rescue attempts. We've seen people lose hundreds of dollars trying to manually time their transactions, sending ETH repeatedly thinking they'll eventually get lucky. They won't.
Real example from our recoveries:
One user had their wallet compromised after clicking a fake OpenSea email. They had 4 Pudgy Penguins, 6 Sappy Seals, 3 The Plague NFTs, and several thousand dollars in various ERC20 tokens trapped. They spent two days trying to rescue assets manually, losing over $300 in failed ETH transfers. The sweeper bot captured everything within 2-3 seconds every single time.
Most sweeper bots are actually quite basic. They're programmed to identify and extract ERC20 tokens and ETH because those have obvious value. They can't yet discern which NFTs are valuable versus worthless. This is your advantage. While the bot is busy stealing your ETH, it's ignoring your $50,000 Bored Ape or your rare NFT collection.
Why Traditional Recovery Methods Fail
The Flashbots Approach
Before EIP-7702, the standard solution was Flashbots. You'd create a bundle that sends ETH and immediately moves your assets in the same block, bypassing the public mempool. This worked, but barely.
The problems with Flashbots are severe. First, it only works on Ethereum mainnet. If your compromised wallet is on Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, or any other L2 or sidechain, Flashbots won't help you. Second, even when it works, it's slow and technical. You need to write custom scripts, understand bundle construction, and hope miners include your bundle.
Third, and most critically, Flashbots always leaves residual ETH. You send 0.01 ETH, use 0.008 ETH in gas to move your tokens, and 0.002 ETH remains in the wallet. The sweeper bot immediately takes that remaining amount. It's inefficient and still feeds the attacker.
We've used Flashbots for clients before EIP-7702 existed. It took hours to set up properly for someone non-technical. The success rate was around 60-70% because bundle inclusion wasn't guaranteed. When it failed, you had to start over. One recovery took us 6 hours across multiple attempts because the bundles kept getting rejected.
Manual Timing Attempts
Some people try to manually time their transactions, sending ETH and immediately submitting the asset transfer. This fails 100% of the time against modern sweeper bots. The bot monitors the mempool and sees both your ETH deposit and your transfer attempt. It front-runs both.
We've seen people waste $500+ trying this approach. They send small amounts thinking they can sneak under the bot's radar. Doesn't work. The bot takes amounts as small as $0.50 worth of ETH. There's no minimum threshold where you're safe.
The EIP-7702 Solution That Actually Works
EIP-7702 introduced wallet delegation, allowing an externally owned account (EOA) to temporarily authorize another address to execute transactions on its behalf. This changes everything for compromised wallet recovery.
Here's how it works. You create a sponsor wallet with clean private keys. You fund the sponsor wallet with enough ETH to cover gas. The compromised wallet delegates authority to the sponsor wallet using EIP-7702. Now the sponsor wallet can execute transactions for the compromised wallet and pay for gas from its own balance.
The sweeper bot never gets triggered because no ETH ever enters the compromised wallet. The delegation happens through a one-time signature from the compromised wallet. All gas payments come from the sponsor wallet. Your assets move to safety, and the attacker gets nothing.
This approach is cleaner, faster, and works across multiple chains. We've successfully used it on Ethereum mainnet, Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism. Any chain that supports EIP-7702 (most modern EVMs do) can use this method.
Technical specifics:
The delegation signature costs zero gas to create since it's off-chain. The sponsor wallet pays approximately 50-80k gas to execute the delegation transaction, then standard gas costs for each asset transfer (21k gas for ETH, 65k gas for ERC20, variable for NFTs). Total cost for a typical recovery with 3-5 assets is $15-30 depending on gas prices.
The delegation is temporary and can be revoked. You're not giving permanent control. You're authorizing specific transactions for asset recovery. Once complete, the delegation expires or you can explicitly revoke it.
Why this approach works better:
Gas efficiency is superior. With Flashbots, you're sending ETH that partially gets stolen. With EIP-7702, all gas comes from the clean sponsor wallet. Nothing goes to the attacker. The recovery is also faster. No bundle construction, no waiting for miner inclusion. Submit the delegation, move assets, done.
The method works cross-chain unlike Flashbots. We've recovered assets on Base and Arbitrum where Flashbots simply doesn't exist. For users on L2s, this is the only viable option besides writing custom contracts.
Real-World Case Studies
Case Study 1: NFT Collection Worth $20K+
Background: User clicked a phishing link disguised as an OpenSea support email. Entered their seed phrase. Realized the mistake 10 minutes later when they saw unauthorized transactions.
Challenge: The wallet contained 4 Pudgy Penguins ($12K value), 6 Sappy Seals ($6K value), 3 The Plague NFTs ($2K value), and various smaller tokens. Active sweeper bot was draining any incoming ETH within seconds.
Our approach:
- Created a fresh sponsor wallet with new seed phrase
- Funded sponsor wallet with 0.05 ETH for gas
- Generated EIP-7702 delegation signature from compromised wallet
- Executed delegation transaction (cost: 72k gas)
- Transferred all NFTs to new safe wallet (cost: ~180k gas per NFT)
- Transferred remaining ERC20 tokens
Results:
- Total cost: $42 in gas at 30 gwei
- Time elapsed: 8 minutes from start to finish
- Assets recovered: 100% (13 NFTs, 7 ERC20 tokens)
- Amount lost to attacker: $0
- User outcome: Relieved, assets safe in new wallet
Key lesson: The sweeper bot never targeted the NFTs because it couldn't identify their value. It was programmed to steal ETH and popular ERC20 tokens only. This gave us a clean window to rescue everything. If we had waited another day, the attacker might have manually reviewed the wallet and transferred the NFTs themselves.
Case Study 2: Staked Assets Requiring Custom Solution
Background: Developer had their wallet compromised after downloading a malicious VS Code extension. Wallet contained staked ETH on Lido and staked tokens in a DeFi protocol.
Challenge: Staked assets can't be transferred directly. They require unstaking first, which takes time and gas. Our standard online tool doesn't handle complex staking contracts automatically.
Our approach:
- Manual recovery instead of automated tool
- Created custom contract to batch unstake and transfer in single transaction
- Used EIP-7702 delegation to authorize contract execution
- Paid all gas from sponsor wallet
- Coordinated unstaking across 2 protocols
Results:
- Total cost: $180 in gas plus $500 for custom development
- Time elapsed: 4 hours for contract development, 15 minutes for execution
- Assets recovered: 95% (some assets had lockup periods we couldn't bypass)
- Amount lost to attacker: Small amount in unlocked tokens before we intervened
- User outcome: Recovered $8,500 of $9,000 total
Key lesson: Standard tools work for 90% of cases involving simple ERC20s, NFTs, and ETH. Complex DeFi positions require custom solutions. If you have staked assets, yield farming positions, or liquidity provider tokens, contact us for manual recovery. Don't try to handle it yourself with the automated tool.
Case Study 3: Multi-Chain Compromised Wallet
Background: User had the same seed phrase across multiple chains (bad practice). Compromised on one chain, vulnerable on all chains.
Challenge: Assets spread across Ethereum mainnet, Base, and Arbitrum. Different sweeper bots operating on each chain with varying sophistication levels.
Our approach:
- Prioritized chain with highest asset value first
- Created separate sponsor wallets for each chain
- Executed recoveries in parallel across chains
- Used our tool's multi-chain support
Results:
- Total cost: $85 across all three chains
- Time elapsed: 12 minutes for all chains combined
- Assets recovered: 100% across all chains
- Amount lost to attacker: $0
- User outcome: Learned hard lesson about seed phrase reuse, all assets safe
Key lesson: Sweeper bots often operate independently per chain. Just because one chain is compromised doesn't mean the attacker has deployed bots everywhere yet. Move fast. We recovered assets from Arbitrum and Base before the attacker even realized there were assets on those chains. Speed matters.
Step-by-Step Recovery Process
Using Our Free Migration Tool
The entire process takes 5-10 minutes for a standard recovery. Here's exactly what happens:
1. Access the tool at allthingsweb3.com/tools/migrate-wallet
You don't need to download anything or install software. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Your private keys never leave your device.
2. Connect your sponsor wallet
Create a fresh wallet with MetaMask, Rabby, or any standard wallet provider. Make absolutely sure this wallet has never been exposed to the compromised environment. If you compromised your wallet through a browser extension, use a different browser for the sponsor wallet.
Fund the sponsor wallet with enough ETH to cover gas. For 5-10 assets, allocate 0.02-0.05 ETH depending on current gas prices. You can check gas estimates in the tool before confirming.
3. Enter your compromised wallet's private key
The tool needs the private key to generate the delegation signature. This happens locally in your browser. We never see or store your compromised private key.
Yes, entering your compromised private key feels scary. Remember, the wallet is already compromised. You're not making things worse. The attacker already has your private key. You're just using it one final time to rescue your assets.
4. Select assets to recover
The tool scans your compromised wallet and displays all ERC20 tokens, NFTs, and ETH balance. Check the boxes next to assets you want to recover. You can select all or choose specific items.
For NFTs, the tool shows collection names and token IDs. For ERC20s, it shows token symbols and balances. Review carefully to make sure you're not missing anything valuable.
5. Choose destination wallet
By default, assets transfer to your sponsor wallet. You can specify a different destination address if you want assets to go elsewhere. Make sure the destination address is controlled by you and is secure.
6. Execute delegation and transfers
Click "Recover Assets." The tool generates the EIP-7702 delegation signature from your compromised wallet, then submits transactions to transfer each selected asset. You'll see transaction hashes for each operation in real-time.
The sponsor wallet pays for all gas. Monitor your sponsor wallet balance to ensure you have sufficient funds. If gas prices spike mid-recovery, you might need to add more ETH to the sponsor wallet.
7. Verify success
Once transactions confirm, verify that assets arrived in your destination wallet. Check on Etherscan or the relevant block explorer. Cross-reference with the list of assets you selected to ensure nothing was missed.
Manual Recovery for Advanced Cases
If you have staked assets, complex DeFi positions, or unusual token standards not supported by the automated tool, contact us for manual recovery assistance. We charge $500-2,000 depending on complexity, but we've successfully recovered everything from Lido staked ETH to exotic yield farming positions.
Staked assets are the most common case requiring manual intervention. Our automated tool can't unstake assets because unstaking procedures vary by protocol. We write custom contracts that integrate with the specific staking protocol's unstaking mechanism and execute everything atomically using delegation.
Common Mistakes That Cost Money
Mistake 1: Sending Multiple Small ETH Amounts
The mistake: People think they can sneak ETH past the bot by sending tiny amounts like $5 or $10 worth.
Why it fails: Sweeper bots don't have minimum thresholds. They're programmed to take everything regardless of amount. We've seen bots steal $0.50 worth of ETH (0.0001 ETH). The gas cost to the attacker is $0.30, but they don't care. They're running the operation at scale across hundreds of compromised wallets.
What it costs: Users typically lose $100-500 trying this approach before giving up. One person we helped had attempted 47 separate transfers totaling $340 before contacting us. All 47 were stolen instantly.
How to avoid: Don't send ETH to the compromised wallet at all. Use EIP-7702 delegation so gas comes from a clean sponsor wallet. This is the only reliable method.
Mistake 2: Waiting Too Long
The mistake: After discovering the compromise, users wait days researching solutions or hoping the attacker will just take the ETH and leave the other assets alone.
Why it fails: Most attackers run automated bots initially, but they manually review high-value wallets within 24-48 hours. Basic bots miss NFTs because they can't value them automatically. Human attackers don't miss anything. They'll take your Bored Apes, your rare NFTs, your LP tokens, everything.
What it costs: In the worst case we saw, someone waited 4 days. The attacker eventually noticed the Pudgy Penguins sitting there and manually transferred them out. The user lost $15,000 in NFTs that could have been rescued on day 1.
How to avoid: Act within hours of discovering the compromise, not days. Even if you're not sure which recovery method to use, do something. Move your most valuable assets first using whatever method you can access quickly.
Mistake 3: Reusing Compromised Devices or Browsers
The mistake: Creating a sponsor wallet on the same computer or browser where the original compromise happened.
Why it fails: If you got compromised through malware, a browser extension, or clipboard hijacker, using the same environment means your sponsor wallet might also get compromised. You're just creating a second victim wallet.
What it costs: We've seen this happen twice. User recovers assets to sponsor wallet, then within hours the sponsor wallet also gets drained by the same malware. Both wallets are now compromised.
How to avoid: Use a completely fresh environment for the sponsor wallet. Different device if possible. Minimum is a different browser that's never been used for crypto. Clean install. No shared browser extensions. Treat the sponsor wallet as if it's worth $1 million even if you're only putting $50 in it.
Mistake 4: Not Checking for Cross-Chain Exposure
The mistake: Recovering assets on Ethereum mainnet but forgetting the same seed phrase controls wallets on Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, and other chains.
Why it fails: The private key that's compromised on one chain is compromised on all chains if you used the same seed phrase. Attackers often deploy bots across multiple chains simultaneously.
What it costs: One user recovered $3,000 from mainnet but lost $1,200 from their Base wallet two days later because they didn't realize it was the same seed phrase.
How to avoid: Check every major chain where you might have assets with that seed phrase. Our tool supports multi-chain recovery in a single session. Select all chains with assets and recover everything at once.
Cost & Timeline Reality Check
Using Our Free Tool
Cost: $15-50 in gas depending on network congestion and number of assets
What you pay:
- Gas for delegation transaction: 50-80k gas (~$2-5 at 30 gwei)
- Gas per ERC20 transfer:
65k gas ($2-4 per token) - Gas per NFT transfer:
80-150k gas ($3-8 per NFT) - Gas for ETH transfer if needed: 21k gas (~$1-2)
Timeline: 5-10 minutes from start to finish
Success rate: 98% for standard ERC20s, NFTs, and ETH
Best for: Anyone with compromised wallet containing standard assets on EVM chains that support EIP-7702
Limitations:
- Doesn't handle staked assets automatically
- Doesn't handle complex DeFi positions (LP tokens in certain protocols)
- Doesn't support non-EVM chains
- Requires sponsor wallet with sufficient gas funds
Manual Recovery Service
Cost: $500-2,000 depending on complexity
What you get:
- Custom contract development for complex cases
- Staked asset unstaking (Lido, Rocket Pool, etc.)
- DeFi position unwinding
- Multi-protocol recovery
- Exotic token standards
- Hand-holding through entire process
Timeline: 2-8 hours for contract development, 15-30 minutes for execution
Success rate: 95% (some assets have time-locked periods we can't bypass)
Best for: High-value wallets ($10K+) with complex DeFi positions, staked assets, or unusual token types
Limitations:
- Not cost-effective for simple cases under $5K
- Requires coordination and communication
- May require waiting for unstaking periods to complete
- Some protocols have technical limitations we can't overcome
Our Recommendation
Use the free tool for 95% of cases. If you just have ERC20 tokens, NFTs, and ETH sitting in the wallet, the automated tool handles it perfectly. Don't overthink it.
Only pay for manual recovery if you have staked assets or complex DeFi positions that the tool explicitly doesn't support. If you're unsure, try the free tool first. It will show you which assets it can handle. If something fails, then contact us for manual help.
Don't wait to find a cheaper solution. Speed matters more than saving $20 in gas fees. The longer you wait, the higher the chance the attacker manually reviews your wallet and takes everything. Recover now, optimize costs later.
Technical Implementation Details
How EIP-7702 Delegation Works
EIP-7702 allows an EOA to set its code temporarily to a specified contract address using a new transaction type. The delegation is declared via a signed authorization that contains the contract address to delegate to, a nonce, and an optional gas limit.
struct Authorization {
uint256 chainId;
address codeAddress;
uint256 nonce;
uint256 yParity;
bytes32 r;
bytes32 s;
}
The compromised wallet signs this authorization off-chain at zero gas cost. The sponsor wallet then includes this authorization in a transaction it submits to the network. The EVM temporarily sets the compromised wallet's code to point to the delegation contract.
Once delegated, the delegation contract can execute transactions on behalf of the compromised wallet, with all gas paid by the sponsor wallet submitting the transaction. The compromised wallet's balance remains untouched, preventing the sweeper bot from triggering.
Why this approach is gas-efficient:
Traditional methods require sending ETH to the compromised wallet first (wasted gas), then moving assets (more gas), then the sweeper bot steals residual ETH (user loss). With delegation, only asset transfer gas is paid, all from the sponsor wallet. Zero ETH enters the compromised wallet.
The delegation overhead is minimal, approximately 30-50k additional gas on top of the base transaction. For recovering multiple assets, this overhead amortizes across transfers making each individual transfer cheaper than the Flashbots bundle approach.
Security considerations:
The delegation is scoped to the specific transaction or set of transactions authorized. The compromised wallet doesn't give permanent control to the sponsor wallet. After transactions execute, the delegation can be revoked or simply expires.
Users should still generate a completely new wallet and never use the compromised wallet again after recovery. The delegation is just a temporary measure to rescue assets, not a permanent solution. The private key is compromised and will remain compromised forever.
Why Sweeper Bots Can't Stop This
Sweeper bots monitor incoming transactions to the compromised address. They specifically watch for two events: ETH being sent to the wallet, and approve() calls that might precede asset transfers.
With EIP-7702, neither event occurs. No ETH is sent because all gas comes from the sponsor wallet. The delegation itself happens in a single atomic transaction that doesn't trigger the bot's monitoring logic. By the time the bot detects anything unusual, the assets are already gone.
The bot's mempool monitoring is irrelevant because there's no incoming ETH to front-run. Even if the bot sees the delegation transaction in the mempool, it can't prevent it. The sweeper bot doesn't have the private key to submit counter-transactions using delegation, it can only move ETH and tokens that are already in the wallet.
This is fundamentally different from the Flashbots approach where you're racing against the bot's bundle. With delegation, there's no race. The bot is monitoring for a pattern that never occurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover assets from a hardware wallet that's been compromised?
Yes, if your hardware wallet's seed phrase was exposed (written down and photographed, entered into a phishing site, etc.), the recovery process is identical. The hardware wallet itself isn't compromised, the seed phrase is. Generate a new seed phrase on the hardware wallet, create a sponsor wallet, and use our tool to migrate assets from the old addresses to new addresses controlled by your fresh seed phrase.
Does this work on Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, or other EVM chains?
It works on any EVM-compatible chain that has implemented EIP-7702. As of late 2024, this includes Ethereum mainnet, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, and most major L2s. BSC and Polygon support varies by their update schedule. Check the tool's supported networks list when you access it, or contact us to confirm specific chain support.
What if the sweeper bot is also targeting my NFTs or specific tokens?
Most sweeper bots are generic and only target ETH plus popular ERC20s like USDC, USDT, DAI, and WETH. They don't have logic to identify valuable NFTs. However, if you've encountered a sophisticated bot that's actually targeting specific assets, the EIP-7702 method still works because it operates outside the normal transaction flow the bot monitors. The delegation and transfer happen in one atomic operation that the bot can't intercede in.
How long does the delegation last and can the sponsor wallet steal my remaining assets later?
The delegation is temporary and scoped to the specific transactions authorized. It doesn't give permanent control. After recovery, you should generate a completely new wallet anyway since your old private key is permanently compromised. Never use the compromised wallet again for any purpose. The sponsor wallet can't come back later and take additional assets because the delegation expires and the compromised wallet should be abandoned entirely.
What happens if I don't have enough ETH in the sponsor wallet for gas?
The transactions will fail mid-execution. If you're recovering 10 assets and run out of gas after 3 transfers, those 3 are safe but the remaining 7 are still stuck. Always over-estimate gas requirements. Check current gas prices and allocate 50% more than the tool's estimate to account for potential price spikes during execution. If transactions fail due to insufficient gas, you can add more ETH to the sponsor wallet and retry the remaining assets.
Can this recover staked ETH from protocols like Lido or Rocket Pool?
The automated tool doesn't handle staked assets because unstaking procedures vary by protocol and often require multiple transactions or waiting periods. You need our manual recovery service for staked assets. We write custom contracts that integrate with the specific staking protocol's unstaking mechanism and execute everything atomically using delegation. Cost is higher ($500-2,000) but we've successfully recovered stETH, rETH, and other staked positions.
Is the tool's code open source and can I verify it's not stealing my private key?
Yes, the code is open source and available on our GitHub. You can audit it yourself or have a developer review it before using. The private key handling happens entirely in your browser using standard web3 libraries. The key never leaves your device and is never transmitted to our servers.
The Bottom Line
Sweeper bots are sophisticated enough to steal ETH instantly but dumb enough to ignore your valuable NFTs. This window is your opportunity, but it closes fast once the attacker manually reviews the wallet.
The Flashbots era is over for wallet recovery. It was slow, expensive, only worked on mainnet, and always left money for the attacker. EIP-7702 delegation is faster, cheaper, works cross-chain, and leaves nothing behind.
Here's what you need to remember:
Don't waste time trying to manually outrun the bot. You can't. Don't waste money sending ETH hoping you'll get lucky. You won't. Use delegation to bypass the bot entirely, paying gas from a clean sponsor wallet. This is the only reliable method that works in 2025.
The decision is simple:
If you have standard assets (ERC20 tokens, NFTs, ETH) on supported chains, use our free tool at allthingsweb3.com/tools/migrate-wallet. Five minutes, $20-40 in gas, done. If you have staked assets or complex DeFi positions, contact us for manual recovery. It costs more but it's your only option for those asset types.
What we recommend:
Act within hours of discovering the compromise, not days. Create your sponsor wallet on a completely fresh device or browser. Check all chains where you might have used that seed phrase. Recover everything in one session. Then generate a new wallet with a new seed phrase and never touch the compromised wallet again.
Speed matters more than perfection. A successful recovery today is worth more than a perfect recovery attempt next week when all your NFTs are gone.
Related Resources
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