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leaked sensitive data
API Keys Data Breach Data Leak Data protection Data Safety User Data data security leaked sensitive data

Critical better-auth Flaw Enables API Key Account Takeover

 

A flaw in the better-auth authentication library could let attackers take over user accounts without logging in. The issue affects the API keys plugin and allows unauthenticated actors to generate privileged API keys for any user by abusing weak authorization logic. Researchers warn that successful exploitation grants full authenticated access as the targeted account, potentially exposing sensitive data or enabling broader application compromise, depending on the user’s privileges. 

The better-auth library records around 300,000 weekly downloads on npm, making the issue significant for applications that rely on API keys for automation and service-to-service communication. Unlike interactive logins, API keys often bypass multi-factor authentication and can remain valid for long periods. If misused, a single key can enable scripted access, backend manipulation, or large-scale impersonation of privileged users. 

Tracked as CVE-2025-61928, the vulnerability stems from flawed logic in the createApiKey and updateApiKey handlers. These functions decide whether authentication is required by checking for an active session and the presence of a userId in the request body. When no session exists but a userId is supplied, the system incorrectly skips authentication and builds user context directly from attacker-controlled input. This bypass avoids server-side validation meant to protect sensitive fields such as permissions and rate limits. 

In practical terms, an attacker can send a single request to the API key creation endpoint with a valid userId and receive a working key tied to that account. The same weakness allows unauthorized modification of existing keys. Because exploitation requires only knowledge or guessing of user identifiers, attack complexity is low. Once obtained, the API key allows attackers to bypass MFA and operate as the victim until the key is revoked. 

A patched version of better-auth has been released to fix the authorization checks. Organizations are advised to upgrade immediately, rotate potentially exposed API keys, review logs for suspicious unauthenticated requests, and tighten key governance through least-privilege permissions, expiration policies, and monitoring. 

The incident highlights broader risks tied to third-party authentication libraries. Authorization flaws in widely adopted components can silently undermine security controls, reinforcing the need for continuous validation, disciplined credential management, and zero-trust approaches across modern, API-driven environments.
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User Privacy
Conduent Data Breach Data Leak Ransomware attack User Privacy

Conduent Data Breach Expands to Tens of Millions of Americans

 

A massive data breach at Conduent, a leading government technology contractor, has escalated dramatically, now affecting tens of millions of Americans across multiple states. Initially detected in January 2025, the intrusion originated from an unauthorized access on October 21, 2024, allowing hackers to lurk undetected for nearly three months. Recent disclosures reveal the scope far exceeds early estimates, with Texas alone reporting 15.4 million victims, Oregon 10.5 million, and additional hundreds of thousands in Washington, Maine, and beyond.

Conduent provides critical back-end services like payments, printing, and processing for state agencies, transit systems, and insurers serving over 100 million users nationwide. The stolen data trove includes highly sensitive details: names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical records, health insurance IDs, and treatment information. This breach, linked to ransomware group SafePay, exposes victims to severe identity theft and fraud risks, prompting lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny.

The cyberattack disrupted operations briefly, delaying child support payments in states like Wisconsin and affecting insurers such as Premera Blue Cross and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana. Conduent, aided by Palo Alto Networks and other forensics experts, secured systems swiftly but incurred $25 million in direct response costs by Q1 2025. No misuse of data has surfaced as of late 2025 notifications, but experts warn of looming phishing and extortion campaigns.

Legal fallout has been swift, with at least nine class-action suits filed over the 10.5 million+ record exposure, marking it as 2025's largest healthcare breach.Notifications began rolling out in October 2025 to state attorneys general in Maine, California, and others, advising credit freezes and fraud alerts—without offering free monitoring. Victims, primarily government program beneficiaries, face heightened vulnerability in an era of persistent ransomware targeting public sector vendors.

Cybersecurity analysts highlight Conduent's prolonged undetected access as a stark reminder of supply chain risks in govtech. The firm's SEC filings underscore ongoing financial strain from notifications and potential liabilities. As investigations continue into 2026, this incident amplifies calls for stricter vendor oversight and zero-trust architectures in handling citizen data.

In response, affected states and insurers urge proactive measures: monitor credit reports, enable multi-factor authentication, and watch for suspicious IRS or healthcare scams. Conduent assures full cooperation with authorities, but the ballooning victim count underscores the fragility of centralized data troves in government services.This breach serves as a pivotal case study in evolving cyber threats to public infrastructure.
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ShinyHunters
Data Breach Data Leak Harvard Breach Upenn Hack ShinyHunters

ShinyHunters Leak Exposes Harvard and UPenn Personal Data

 

Hacking group ShinyHunters has reportedly published more than a million records stolen from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) on its dark web site, putting a vast trove of sensitive personal data within reach of cybercriminals worldwide. The leaked data appears to contain sensitive details about the students, employees, alumni, donors, and family members of the breached organizations. This has expanded the scope of the compromised data to a wide range of people. Initial verification of the leaked data has revealed that at least some of the leaked data is genuine. 

The UPenn breach is believed to have begun in early November 2025, when the hackers gained access to an employee’s single sign-on (SSO) account by claiming to have obtained full access to the UPenn employee’s SSO account. This has essentially turned the SSO account into a master key that has allowed the hackers to access the UPenn VPN system, Salesforce data, the Qlik analytics platform, SAP business intelligence tools, and SharePoint. During the course of the attack, the hackers also used the compromised login credentials to send offensive emails to 700,000 people. Initially, UPenn believed that the emails were fake, but they later turned out to be real.

Harvard confirmed a related compromise roughly three weeks after the UPenn disclosure, tying its own incident to a successful voice phishing (vishing) campaign. In this case, attackers are said to have infiltrated Alumni Affairs and Development systems, exposing data on past and present students, donors, some faculty and staff, and even spouses, partners, and parents of alumni and students. The stolen records reportedly include names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, estimated net worth, donation history, and sensitive demographic attributes such as race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Unlike traditional ransomware operations that both encrypt systems and steal data, ShinyHunters appears to have focused solely on data theft and extortion, deploying no encryptors in these campaigns. The group allegedly attempted to negotiate payment in cryptocurrency in exchange for promising to delete the stolen files, following the now-common double extortion model. When talks broke down and the universities did not pay, the hackers responded by dumping the data openly on their dark web leak site, amplifying the risk of identity theft, harassment, and targeted scams for victims.

For Harvard and UPenn, the breaches highlight the dangers of over-reliance on SSO accounts and human-centric weaknesses such as vishing, where convincing phone calls trick staff into revealing or approving access. For affected individuals, the publication of highly personal and demographic information raises concerns around fraud, doxxing, discrimination, and reputational harm that could persist for years. The incidents reinforce the need for stronger multifactor authentication, rigorous phishing and vishing awareness training, and tighter controls around high-value institutional accounts holding large volumes of sensitive data.
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Offline Security
Air Gaps Black hat Cyber Security Data Leak Offline Security

Black Hat Researcher Proves Air Gaps Fail to Secure Data

 

Air gaps, long hailed as the ultimate defense for sensitive data, are under siege according to Black Hat researcher Mordechai Guri. In a compelling presentation, Guri demonstrated multiple innovative methods to exfiltrate information from supposedly isolated computers, shattering the myth of complete offline security. These techniques exploit everyday hardware components, proving that physical disconnection alone cannot guarantee protection in high-stakes environments like government and military networks.

Guri's BeatCoin malware turns computer speakers into covert transmitters, emitting near-ultrasonic sounds inaudible to humans but detectable by nearby smartphones up to 10 meters away. This allows private keys or other secrets to leak out effortlessly. Even disabling speakers fails, as Fansmitter modulates fan speeds to alter blade frequencies, creating acoustic signals receivable by listening devices within 8 meters. For scenarios without microphones, the Mosquito attack repurposes speakers as rudimentary microphones via GPIO manipulation, enabling ultrasonic data transmission between air-gapped machines.

Electromagnetic exploits further erode air-gap defenses. AirHopper manipulates monitor cables to radiate FM-band signals, capturable by a smartphone's built-in receiver. GSMem leverages CPU-RAM pathways to generate cellular-like transmissions detectable by basic feature phones, while USBee transforms USB ports into antennas for broad leakage. These methods highlight how standard peripherals become unwitting conduits for data escape.

Faraday cages, designed to block electromagnetic waves, offer no sanctuary either. Guri's ODINI attack generates low-frequency magnetic fields from CPU cores, penetrating these shields.PowerHammer goes further by inducing parasitic signals on building power lines, tappable by attackers monitoring electrical infrastructure.Such persistence underscores the vulnerability of even fortified setups.

While these attacks assume initial malware infection—often via USB or insiders—real-world precedents like Stuxnet validate the threat. Organizations must layer defenses with anomaly detection, hardware restrictions, and continuous monitoring beyond mere air-gapping. Guri's work urges a reevaluation of "secure" isolation strategies in an era of sophisticated side-channel threats.
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Spain
Data Breach Data Leak Education ministry of science Online Platforms Spain

Spain’s Science Ministry Partially Shuts Online Systems After Suspected Cyber Incident

 



Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities has temporarily disabled parts of its digital infrastructure following what it described as a technical problem. The disruption has affected several online services used by citizens, universities, researchers, and businesses for official procedures and submissions. These platforms support important administrative functions and process sensitive information, which is why access was restricted as a precaution.

The ministry oversees national science policy, research programs, innovation initiatives, and higher education administration. Its systems handle high-value data, including academic and research records, application materials, and personal information linked to students and professionals. Because of the incident, multiple digital services were made unavailable, and active procedures were placed on hold to limit any potential risk to data or system integrity.

In a public notice on its official website, the ministry stated that the incident is under technical assessment and did not disclose further details at the time. The announcement clarified that the ministry’s online portal is only partially operational and that ongoing administrative processes have been paused to protect the rights and lawful interests of affected users. To reduce the impact of the outage, authorities confirmed that deadlines for affected procedures will be extended in line with Spain’s administrative law provisions, so applicants and institutions are not penalized for delays caused by the shutdown.

Separately, claims surfaced on underground online platforms from an individual alleging unauthorized access to the ministry’s systems. The person shared what they presented as sample data to support the claim and stated that additional information was available for sale. The material reportedly includes personal records, email information, application-related documents, and images of official paperwork. These claims have not been independently verified, and the online space where the samples were shared later became inaccessible.

The same individual alleged that access was gained by exploiting a security weakness that can allow users to reach restricted resources without proper authorization. Such flaws, when present in web applications, can expose internal systems if not properly secured. At this stage, the technical details of the claim remain unconfirmed by authorities.

Spanish media outlets have reported that a ministry spokesperson acknowledged that the service disruption is linked to a cybersecurity incident. However, officials have not confirmed whether any data was accessed or taken, nor have they outlined the scope of any potential compromise. The ministry has indicated that investigations are ongoing to determine what occurred and to restore services safely.

Cybersecurity experts consistently warn that public sector systems are frequent targets because of the volume and sensitivity of data they manage. Strong access controls, continuous monitoring, and timely security updates are critical to reducing exposure to such risks. Further updates from the ministry are expected once technical assessments are completed and the situation is fully clarified.

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Dating Apps
Consumer Information Cyber Phishing Data Breach Data Leak data security Data Theft dating app security Dating Apps

ShinyHunters Claims Match Group Data Breach Exposing 10 Million Records

 

A new data theft has surfaced linked to ShinyHunters, which now claims it stole more than 10 million user records from Match Group, the U.S. company behind several major swipe-based dating platforms. The group has positioned the incident as another major addition to its breach history, alleging that personal data and internal materials were taken without authorization. 

According to ShinyHunters, the stolen data relates to users of Hinge, Match.com, and OkCupid, along with hundreds of internal documents. The Register reported seeing a listing on the group’s dark web leak site stating that “over 10 million lines” of data were involved. The exposure was also linked to AppsFlyer, a marketing analytics provider, which was referenced as the likely source connected to the incident. 

Match Group confirmed it is investigating what it described as a recently identified security incident, and said some user data may have been accessed. The company stated it acted quickly to terminate the unauthorized access and is continuing its investigation with external cybersecurity experts. Match Group also said there was no indication that login credentials, financial information, or private communications were accessed, and added that it believes only a limited amount of user data was affected. 

It said notifications are being issued to impacted individuals where appropriate. However, Match Group did not disclose what categories of data were accessed, how many users were impacted, or whether any ransom demand was made or paid, leaving key details about the scope and motivation unresolved. Cybernews, which reviewed samples associated with the listing, reported that the dataset appears to include customer personal data, some employee-related information, and internal corporate documents. 

The analysis also suggested the presence of Hinge subscription details, including user IDs, transaction IDs, payment amounts, and records linked to blocked installations, along with IP addresses and location-related data. In a separate post published the same week, ShinyHunters also claimed it had stolen data from Bumble. The group uploaded what it described as 30 GB of compressed files allegedly sourced from Google Drive and Slack. The claims come shortly after researchers reported that ShinyHunters targeted around 100 organizations by abusing stolen Okta single sign-on credentials. The alleged victim list included well-known SaaS and technology firms such as Atlassian, AppLovin, Canva, Epic Games, Genesys, HubSpot, Iron Mountain, RingCentral, and ZoomInfo, among others. 

Bumble has issued a statement saying that one contractor’s account had been compromised in a phishing incident. The company said the account had limited privileges but was used for brief unauthorized access to a small portion of Bumble’s network. Bumble stated its security team detected and removed the access quickly, confirmed the incident was contained, engaged external cybersecurity experts, and notified law enforcement. Bumble also emphasized that there was no access to its member database, member accounts, the Bumble app, or member direct messages or profiles.
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Google security
AI tools Data Breach Data Leak Digital Personal Data Protection Gemini AI Gemini Flaw Gemini vulnerability Google Gemini Google security

Google Gemini Calendar Flaw Allows Meeting Invites to Leak Private Data

 

Though built to make life easier, artificial intelligence helpers sometimes carry hidden risks. A recent study reveals that everyday features - such as scheduling meetings - can become pathways for privacy breaches. Instead of protecting data, certain functions may unknowingly expose it. Experts from Miggo Security identified a flaw in Google Gemini’s connection to Google Calendar. Their findings show how an ordinary invite might secretly gather private details. What looks innocent on the surface could serve another purpose beneath. 

A fresh look at Gemini shows it helps people by understanding everyday speech and pulling details from tools like calendars. Because the system responds to words instead of rigid programming rules, security experts from Miggo discovered a gap in its design. Using just text that seems normal, hackers might steer the AI off course. These insights, delivered openly to Hackread.com, reveal subtle risks hidden in seemingly harmless interactions. 

A single calendar entry is enough to trigger the exploit - no clicking, no downloads, no obvious red flags. Hidden inside what looks like normal event details sits coded directions meant for machines, not people. Rather than arriving through email attachments or shady websites, the payload comes disguised as routine scheduling data. The wording blends in visually, yet when processed by Gemini, it shifts into operational mode. Instructions buried in plain sight tell the system to act without signaling intent to the recipient. 

A single harmful invitation sits quietly once added to the calendar. Only after the user poses a routine inquiry - like asking about free time on Saturday - is anything set in motion. When Gemini checks the agenda, it reads the tainted event along with everything else. Within that entry lies a concealed instruction: gather sensitive calendar data and compile a report. Using built-in features of Google Calendar, the system generates a fresh event containing those extracted details. 

Without any sign, personal timing information ends up embedded within a new appointment. What makes the threat hard to spot is its invisible nature. Though responses appear normal, hidden processes run without alerting the person using the system. Instead of bugs in software, experts point to how artificial intelligence understands words as the real weak point. The concern grows as behavior - rather than broken code - becomes the source of danger. Not seeing anything wrong does not mean everything is fine. 

Back in December 2025, problems weren’t new for Google’s AI tools when it came to handling sneaky language tricks. A team at Noma Security found a gap called GeminiJack around that time. Hidden directions inside files and messages could trigger leaks of company secrets through the system. Experts pointed out flaws deep within how these smart tools interpret context across linked platforms. The design itself seemed to play a role in the vulnerability. Following the discovery by Miggo Security, Google fixed the reported flaw. 

Still, specialists note similar dangers remain possible. Most current protection systems look for suspicious code or URLs - rarely do they catch damaging word patterns hidden within regular messages. When AI helpers get built into daily software and given freedom to respond independently, some fear misuse may grow. Unexpected uses of helpful features could lead to serious consequences, researchers say.
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Vulnerabilities and Exploits
Cl0p Ransomware Data Leak Korean Air Supply-Chain Attack Vulnerabilities and Exploits

Korean Air Employee Data Exposed in Cl0p Ransomware Supply-Chain Attack

 

Korean Air has acknowledged the theft of sensitive data belonging to 30,000 current and former employees in a serious data breach. The breach occurred via a supply-chain compromise at KC&D Service, the airline's former catering subsidiary. Hackers exploited a critical flaw in Oracle E-Business Suite, tracked as CVE-2025-61882, that enabled code execution remotely without requiring any user interaction or authentication to login. Cl0p ransomware operators claimed responsibility for the attack, and after ransom demands were apparently ignored, they dumped almost 500 GB of stolen archives on their dark web site. 

The intrusion occurred at KC&D, which, though it was sold to Hahn & Company in 2020, was still handling in-flight meals and duty-free services. Korean Air continues to own a 20% stake and has continued sharing employee data through KC&D's ERP server. The attackers targeted Oracle EBS versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.14 to bypass authentication and reach sensitive systems. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed in early October 2025, after initial exploitation that started in August. Although Oracle promptly released patches, the combination of late detection and widespread exposure caused data exfiltration to spread across many victims. 

The stolen information includes full names and bank account numbers, which increases the risk of identity theft, financial fraud and phishing attacks for those whose information was compromised. Importantly, no customer data, including flight records or payment information, was compromised, preventing wider impact on operations. Korean Air on Dec. 29, 2025, advised the employees to be cautious of scams and took emergency security measures, disconnecting the KC&D servers and filing a report with the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA).

This attack is reminiscent of the 2023 MOVEit Transfer breach conducted by Cl0p, a similar file-transfer exploit that resulted in the compromise of millions of records from hundreds of companies. Dozens of EBS victims have surfaced, including Envoy Air, Harvard University, Schneider Electric, Emerson, Cox Enterprises, Logitech, and Barts Health NHS Trust, underscoring the campaign's global scale. Cl0p, a Russia-nexus extortion group linked to FIN11, prioritizes data theft over encryption for high-value targets. 

The incident emphasizes enduring supply-chain risk in aviation and enterprise software, underscoring the importance of timely patching, third-party risk assessments, and zero-trust architectures. Korean Air Vice Chairman Woo Kee-hong confirmed full dedication to breach scoping and support for its employees in the midst of South Korea's wave of cyberattacks, which also targeted Coupang and SK Telecom in recent days. Organizations around the globe need to review their Oracle EBS exposures and keep an eye on Cl0p leak sites in order to reduce risk.
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Personal Information
2FA API Data Breach Data Leak Instagram Meta Personal Information

Instagram Refutes Breach Allegations After Claims of 17 Million User Records Circulating Online

 



Instagram has firmly denied claims of a new data breach following reports that personal details linked to more than 17 million accounts are being shared across online forums. The company stated that its internal systems were not compromised and that user accounts remain secure.

The clarification comes after concerns emerged around a technical flaw that allowed unknown actors to repeatedly trigger password reset emails for Instagram users. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, confirmed that this issue has been fixed. According to the company, the flaw did not provide access to accounts or expose passwords. Users who received unexpected reset emails were advised to ignore them, as no action is required.

Public attention intensified after cybersecurity alerts suggested that a large dataset allegedly connected to Instagram accounts had been released online. The data, which was reportedly shared without charge on several hacking forums, was claimed to have been collected through an unverified Instagram API vulnerability dating back to 2024.

The dataset is said to include information from over 17 million profiles. The exposed details reportedly vary by record and include usernames, internal account IDs, names, email addresses, phone numbers, and, in some cases, physical addresses. Analysis of the data shows that not all records contain complete personal details, with some entries listing only basic identifiers such as a username and account ID.

Researchers discussing the incident on social media platforms have suggested that the data may not be recent. Some claim it could originate from an older scraping incident, possibly dating back to 2022. However, no technical evidence has been publicly provided to support these claims. Meta has also stated that it has no record of Instagram API breaches occurring in either 2022 or 2024.

Instagram has previously dealt with scraping-related incidents. In one earlier case, a vulnerability allowed attackers to collect and sell personal information associated with millions of accounts. Due to this history, cybersecurity experts believe the newly surfaced dataset could be a collection of older information gathered from multiple sources over several years, rather than the result of a newly discovered vulnerability.

Attempts to verify the origin of the data have so far been unsuccessful. The individual responsible for releasing the dataset did not respond to requests seeking clarification on when or how the information was obtained.

At present, there is no confirmation that this situation represents a new breach of Instagram’s systems. No evidence has been provided to demonstrate that the data was extracted through a recently exploited flaw, and Meta maintains that there has been no unauthorized access to its infrastructure.

While passwords are not included in the leaked information, users are still urged to remain cautious. Such datasets are often used in phishing emails, scam messages, and social engineering attacks designed to trick individuals into revealing additional information.

Users who receive password reset emails or login codes they did not request should delete them and take no further action. Enabling two-factor authentication is fiercely recommended, as it provides an added layer of security against unauthorized access attempts.


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Oracle E-Business Suite
Clop Ransomware Clop Ransomware Gang customer data leak Data Breach Data Leak Data protection data security Oracle E-Business Suite

University of Phoenix Data Breach Exposes Records of Nearly 3.5 Million Individuals

 

The University of Phoenix has confirmed a major cybersecurity incident that exposed the financial and personal information of nearly 3.5 million current and former students, employees, faculty members, and suppliers. The breach is believed to be linked to the Clop ransomware group, a cybercriminal organization known for large-scale data theft and extortion. The incident adds to a growing number of significant cyberattacks reported in 2025. 

Clop is known for exploiting weaknesses in widely used enterprise software rather than locking systems. Instead, the group steals sensitive data and threatens to publish it unless victims pay a ransom. In this case, attackers took advantage of a previously unknown vulnerability in Oracle Corporation’s E-Business Suite software, which allowed them to access internal systems. 

The breach was discovered on November 21 after the University of Phoenix appeared on Clop’s dark web leak site. Further investigation revealed that unauthorized access may have occurred as early as August 2025. The attackers used the Oracle E-Business Suite flaw to move through university systems and reach databases containing highly sensitive financial and personal records.  

The vulnerability used in the attack became publicly known in November, after reports showed Clop-linked actors had been exploiting it since at least September. During that time, organizations began receiving extortion emails claiming financial and operational data had been stolen from Oracle EBS environments. This closely mirrors the methods used in the University of Phoenix breach. 

The stolen data includes names, contact details, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and bank account and routing numbers. While the university has not formally named Clop as the attacker, cybersecurity experts believe the group is responsible due to its public claims and known use of Oracle EBS vulnerabilities. 

Paul Bischoff, a consumer privacy advocate at Comparitech, said the incident reflects a broader trend in which Clop has aggressively targeted flaws in enterprise software throughout the year. In response, the University of Phoenix has begun notifying affected individuals and is offering 12 months of free identity protection services, including credit monitoring, dark web surveillance, and up to $1 million in fraud reimbursement. 

The breach ranks among the largest cyber incidents of 2025. Rebecca Moody, head of data research at Comparitech, said it highlights the continued risks organizations face from third-party software vulnerabilities. Security experts say the incident underscores the need for timely patching, proactive monitoring, and stronger defenses, especially in education institutions that handle large volumes of sensitive data.
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personal data security
700Credit data breach Cyberattacks Data Breach Data Leak Data protection data security Personal Data Breach personal data security

700Credit Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of Over 5.6 Million Consumers

 

A massive breach at the credit reporting firm 700Credit has led to the leakage of private details of over 5.6 million people, throwing a new set of concerns on the risk of third-party security in the financial services value chain. The firm has admitted that the breach was a result of a supply chain attack on one of its third-party integration partners and did not originate from an internal breach.  

According to the revelations made, this breach has its roots going back to late October 2025, when 700Credit noticed some unusual traffic associated with an exposed API. The firm has more than 200 integration partners who are connected to consumers’ data through APIs. It has been found that one of these partners was compromised as early as July 2025, but this notification was not made to 700Credit, thus leaving an opportunity for hackers to gain unlawful access to an API used for fetching consumers’ credit details from this API connected environment.  

700Credit called this attack a "sustained velocity attack" that began October 25 and continued for over two weeks before being completely contained. Although the company was able to disable their vulnerable API once aware of the attack, attackers had already harvested a large chunk of customer information by exploiting this security hole. The attack is estimated to have compromised 20 percent of available information that was accessed through this vulnerability. 

The compromised information comprises highly sensitive personal information like names, physical addresses, dates of birth, as well as Social Security numbers. Although 700Credit asserted that their primary internal systems as well as login credentials as well as mode of payment are safe from any breach, security experts have indicated that the compromised information is sufficient for identity theft, financial fraud, as well as targeted phishing attacks. Consequently, individuals in the company’s database have been advised to exercise vigilance against any unsolicited messages, especially if they purportedly come from 700Credit or related entities.  

The Attorney General, Dana Nessel, issued a consumer alert warning people not to brush off the notifications received when a breach has occurred, but to be proactive about protecting themselves against fraud using the services of freezing their credit or monitoring their profiles for unusual activity due to the large-scale release of sensitive data that has happened previously. 

In reaction to the incident, 700Credit has already started notifying affected consumers of the breach as a gesture of goodwill, offering two years of complimentary credit monitoring service, as well as offering complimentary credit reports to affected consumers. The company has also partnered with the National Automobile Dealers Association to assist with breach notification with the Federal Trade Commission for a joint notification on affected dealerships. 

Law enforcement agencies have been notified of the breach as part of the continued investigations. This vulnerability highlights the increasing danger of the supply chain vulnerability, especially in companies which have extensive networks in handling personal data of consumers.
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personal data leak
Cyber Attacks Data Leak data security Data Theft employee data exposed Jaguar Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack payroll security breach personal data leak

Jaguar Land Rover Confirms Employee Data Theft After August 2025 Cyberattack

 

British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that a cyberattack uncovered in August 2025 led to the theft of payroll and personal data of thousands of current and former employees. After this disclosure, the company asked the affected people to remain alert about identity theft, phishing attempts, and financial fraud. 

The breach represents the first official acknowledgement from JLR that employee personal information was compromised during the incident. Earlier statements had focused largely on the operational disruption caused by the attack, which forced the temporary shutdown of vehicle production across several manufacturing facilities for several weeks. The company employs more than 38,000 people worldwide. Records pertaining to former employees and contractors were also affected. 

Internal communications shared with staff revealed that forensic investigations determined attackers took unauthorized access to payroll administration systems. These systems would include sensitive employment-related records, including data associated with salaries, pension contributions, employee benefits, and information about dependents. While JLR has stated that there is currently no evidence that the stolen information has been publicly leaked or actively misused, the nature of the exposed data creates a heightened risk profile.  

Cybersecurity experts point out that payroll systems usually host very sensitive identifiers such as bank account details, national insurance numbers, tax information, residential addresses, and compensation records. Even partial data exposure could increase the chances of identity fraud, account takeover attempts, and targeted social engineering attacks by a great degree. In response, JLR has recommended that the affected keep themselves aware of unsolicited communications and enhance passwords related to personal and professional accounts. 

For the sake of mitigation, the company has declared two years of free credit and identity monitoring services for its current and former affected employees. A dedicated helpline is also established for phone support, to assist with queries, advise on protective measures, and take reports of suspected fraudulent activity. This decision by JLR comes after forensic analysis had continued post-restoration of safe production operations. 

The breach has been formally reported to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which has confirmed it is conducting enquiries into the incident. The regulator has asked for more information about the extent of the breach, what security controls were in place at the time of the attack, and what remedial action has been taken since the intrusion was detected. The after-effects of the cyberattack spilled over beyond JLR's workforce. 

The disruption reportedly affected almost 5,000 supplier and partner organizations, reflecting the interconnected nature of modern manufacturing supply chains. Estimates place the overall economic impact of the incident at roughly ₹20,000 crore. Official figures suggest the disruption contributed to a measurable contraction in the UK economy during September 2025. JLR also announced that the attack resulted in the quarterly sales decline of an estimated ₹15,750 crore, along with a one-time recovery and remediation cost of around ₹2,060 crore. 

The costs comprised restoration of systems, security controls enhancement, and incident response. The intrusion, which was earlier claimed by a hacking group named "Scattered Lapsus Hunters" that had earlier been involved with attacks on major retail organizations, has alleged that the organization also accessed customer data. 
However, Jaguar Land Rover claims that evidence supporting those claims has not been found. Investigations are ongoing, and the firm has announced that it will keep informing employees, regulators, and other stakeholders as more information becomes available.
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Personal Data
Cyber Scams Data Breach Data Leak data security Data Stealer data stealing Infostealer Malware Malwares Personal Data

AuraStealer Malware Uses Scam Yourself Tactics to Steal Sensitive Data

 

A recent investigation by Gen Digital’s Gen Threat Labs has brought attention to AuraStealer, a newly emerging malware-as-a-service offering that has begun circulating widely across underground cybercrime communities. First observed in mid-2025, the malware is being promoted as a powerful data-stealing tool capable of compromising a broad range of Windows operating systems. Despite its growing visibility, researchers caution that AuraStealer’s technical sophistication does not always match the claims made by its developers. 

Unlike conventional malware campaigns that rely on covert infection techniques such as malicious email attachments or exploit kits, AuraStealer employs a strategy that places users at the center of their own compromise. This approach, described as “scam-yourself,” relies heavily on social engineering rather than stealth delivery. Threat actors distribute convincing video content on popular social platforms, particularly TikTok, presenting the malware execution process as a legitimate software activation tutorial. 

These videos typically promise free access to paid software products. Viewers are guided through step-by-step instructions that require them to open an administrative PowerShell window and manually enter commands shown on screen. Instead of activating software, the commands quietly retrieve and execute AuraStealer, granting attackers access to the victim’s system without triggering traditional download-based defenses. 

From an analysis perspective, AuraStealer incorporates multiple layers of obfuscation designed to complicate both manual and automated inspection. The malware disrupts straightforward code execution paths by dynamically calculating control flow at runtime, preventing analysts from easily tracing its behavior. It also leverages exception-based execution techniques, intentionally generating system errors that are intercepted by custom handlers to perform malicious actions. These tactics are intended to confuse security sandboxes and delay detection. 

Functionally, AuraStealer targets a wide range of sensitive information. Researchers report that it is designed to harvest data from more than a hundred web browsers and dozens of desktop applications. Its focus includes credentials stored in both Chromium- and Gecko-based browsers, as well as data associated with cryptocurrency wallets maintained through browser extensions and standalone software. 

One of the more concerning aspects of the malware is its attempt to circumvent modern browser protections such as Application-Bound Encryption. The malware tries to launch browser processes in a suspended state and inject code capable of extracting encryption keys. However, researchers observed that this technique is inconsistently implemented and fails across multiple environments, suggesting that the malware remains technically immature. 

Despite being sold through subscription-based pricing that can reach several hundred dollars per month, AuraStealer contains notable weaknesses. Analysts found that its aggressive obfuscation introduces detectable patterns and that coding errors undermine its ability to remain stealthy. These shortcomings provide defenders with opportunities to identify and block infections before significant damage occurs. 

While AuraStealer is actively evolving and backed by ongoing development, its emergence highlights a broader trend toward manipulation-driven cybercrime. Security professionals continue to emphasize that any online tutorial instructing users to paste commands into a system terminal in exchange for free software should be treated as a significant warning sign.
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profile
Data Breach Data Leak database Linkedin Personal Data profile

LinkedIn Profile Data Among Billions of Records Found in Exposed Online Database

 



Cybersecurity researchers recently identified a massive online database that was left publicly accessible without any security protections, exposing a vast collection of professional and personal information. The database contained more than 16 terabytes of data, representing over 4.3 billion individual records that could be accessed without authorization.

Researchers associated with Cybernews reported that the exposed dataset is among the largest lead-generation style databases ever discovered online. The information appears to be compiled from publicly available professional profiles, including data commonly found on LinkedIn, such as profile handles, URLs, and employment-related details.

The exposed records included extensive personal and professional information. This ranged from full names, job titles, employer names, and work histories to education records, degrees, certifications, skills, languages, and location data. In some cases, the datasets also contained phone numbers, email addresses, social media links, and profile images. Additional information related to corporate relationships and contract-linked data was also present, suggesting the dataset was built for commercial or business intelligence purposes.

Investigators believe the data was collected gradually over several years and across different geographic regions. The database was stored in a MongoDB instance, a system commonly used by organizations to manage large volumes of information efficiently. While MongoDB itself is widely used, leaving such databases unsecured can expose sensitive information at scale, which is what occurred in this incident.

The exposed database was discovered on November 23 and secured approximately two days later. However, researchers were unable to determine how long the data had been accessible before it was identified. The exposure is believed to have resulted from misconfiguration or human error rather than a deliberate cyberattack, a common issue in cloud-based data storage environments.

Researchers noted that the database was highly organized and structured, indicating the information was intentionally collected and maintained. Based on its format, the data also appears to be relatively current and accurate.

Such large datasets are particularly attractive to cybercriminals. When combined with automated tools or large language models, this information can be used to conduct large-scale phishing campaigns, generate fraudulent emails, or carry out targeted social engineering attacks against individuals and corporate employees.

Security experts recommend that individuals take precautionary measures following incidents like this. This includes updating passwords for professional networking accounts such as LinkedIn, email services, and any connected financial accounts. Users should also remain cautious of unexpected emails, messages, or phone calls that attempt to pressure them into sharing personal information or clicking unknown links.

Although collecting publicly available data is not illegal in many jurisdictions, failing to properly secure a database of this size may carry legal and regulatory consequences. At present, the ownership and purpose of the database remain unclear. Further updates are expected if more information becomes available or accountability is established.

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Personal Data Breach
Cyberattacks Data Breach Data breaches attacks Data Leak data security INC Ransom gang Inc ransomware Library Personal Data Breach

Pierce County Library System Data Breach Exposes Information of Over 340,000 People

 

A cyber attack on the Pierce County Library System in the state of Washington has led to the compromise of personal data of over 340,000 people, which is indicative of the rising threat of cybersecurity breaches being posed to public services. This attack has impacted library services in the entire county, along with library users and staff. The incident was made known to the public through breach notification letters published on the website of the Pierce County Library System. 

The incident, as revealed in the notification letters, occurred when the library system detected the incident on April 21 and decided to shut all library systems in an effort to control the breach. The library system conducted an investigation that confirmed the breach had taken place. 

The library network was also able to identify that the exfiltration of data from individuals who utilized or were part of the institution was successful on May 12. It was established that the hackers had access to the network from April 15 to April 21. Access to sensitive information was gained and exfiltrated during this time. The level of information that was vulnerable varied depending on who was targeted. 

The data that was breached for the benefit of the library patrons included names and dates of birth. Though very limited compared to the data for employees, this data is still significant for use in identity-related fraud. The breach had severe implications for current and former employees who worked within the library system. The data that was stolen for them included Social Security numbers, financial accounts, driver’s license numbers, credit card numbers, passports, health insurance, and certain data related to medical matters. 

This particular ransomware assault would later be attributed to the INC ransomware gang, which has been responsible for a number of highly detrimental attacks on government bodies over 2025. The gang has previously conducted attacks on bodies such as the Office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania and a countrywide emergency alert service used by local authority bodies. This type of situation is not the first that has occurred on the level of Pierce County. 

In the year 2023, Pierce County was the victim of a ransomware attack on the public transit service that the community utilized heavily because the service was used by 18,000 riders on a daily basis. Public library networks have become a common target for ransomware attacks in recent years. This is because cybercriminals also perceive public libraries as high-stakes targets since community members depend on them for internet access to their catalogs and other digital services, creating a challenge where an organization may feel pressured into paying a ransom demand to resume operations. Such attacks also include national and city library networks in North America. 

The current threat environment has led to calls for developing targeted programs within the government in the United States that would evaluate risks for libraries' cybersecurity environments. This involves enhancing data sharing related to cyber attacks and providing libraries with more support and advanced services from firewalls that target libraries specifically. 

The increasing digitization efforts by libraries as government institutions further solidify that a breach such as that which Pierce County experienced is a reminder that a continued investment in cybersecurity measures is a necessity.
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South Korea
AI Cloud Coupang Cyber Security Data Leak Retail Store South Korea

Online Retail Store Coupang Suffers South Korea's Worst Data Breach, Leak Linked to Former Employee


33.7 million customer data leaked

Data breach is an unfortunate attack that businesses often suffer. Failing to address these breaches is even worse as it costs businesses reputational and privacy damage. 

A breach at Coupang that leaked the data of 33.7 million customers has been linked to a former employee who kept access to internal systems after leaving the organization. 

About the incident 

The news was reported by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency with news agencies after an inquiry that involved a raid on Coupang's offices recently. The firm is South Korea's biggest online retailer. It employs 95,000 people and generates an annual revenue of more than $30 billion. 

Earlier in December, Coupang reported that it had been hit by a data breach that leaked the personal data of 33.7 million customers such as email IDs, names, order information, and addresses.

The incident happened in June, 2025, but the firm found it in November and launched an internal investigation immediately. 

The measures

In December beginning, Coupang posted an update on the breach, assuring the customers that the leaked data had not been exposed anywhere online. 

Even after all this, and Coupang's full cooperation with the authorities, the officials raided the firm's various offices on Tuesday to gather evidence for a detailed enquiry.

Recently, Coupang's CEO Park Dae-Jun gave his resignation and apologies to the public for not being able to stop what is now South Korea's worst cybersecurity breach in history. 

Police investigation 

In the second day of police investigation in Coupang's offices, the officials found that the main suspect was a 43-year old Chinese national who was an employee of the retail giant. The man is called JoongAng, who joined the firm in November 2022 and overlooked the authentication management system. He left the firm in 2024. JoongAng is suspected to have already left South Korea. 

What next?

According to the police, although Coupang is considered the victim, the business and staff in charge of safeguarding client information may be held accountable if carelessness or other legal infractions are discovered. 

Since the beginning of the month, the authorities have received hundreds of reports of Coupang impersonation. Meanwhile, the incident has caused a large amount of phishing activity in the country, affecting almost two-thirds of its population.

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Vendor Breach
Data Breach Data Leak Mixpanel OpenAI User Privacy Vendor Breach

OpenAI Vendor Breach Exposes API User Data

 

OpenAI revealed a security incident in late- November 2025 that allowed hackers to access data about users via its third-party analytics provider, Mixpanel. The breach, which took place on November 9, 2025, exposed a small amount of personally identifiable information for some OpenAI API users, although OpenAI stressed that its own systems had not been the target of the attack.

Breach details 

The breach occurred completely within Mixpanel’s own infrastructure, when an attacker was able to gain access and exfiltrate a dataset containing customer data. Mixpanel became aware of the compromise on 9 November 2025, and following an investigation, shared the breached dataset with OpenAI on 25 November, allowing the technology firm to understand the extent of potential exposure. 

The breach specifically affected users who accessed OpenAI's API via platform.openai.com, rather than regular ChatGPT users. The compromised data included several categories of user information collected through Mixpanel's analytics platform. Names provided to accounts on platform.openai.com were exposed, along with email addresses linked to API accounts. 

Additionally, coarse approximate location data determined by IP addresses, operating system and browser types, referring websites, and organization and user IDs saved in API accounts were part of the breach. However, OpenAI confirmed that more sensitive information remained secure, including chat content, API requests, API usage data, passwords, credentials, API keys, payment details, and government IDs. 

Following the incident, OpenAI took immediate action by removing Mixpanel from its services while conducting its investigation. The company notified affected users on November 26, 2025, right before Thanksgiving, providing details about the breach and emphasizing that it was not a compromise of OpenAI's own systems. OpenAI has suspended its integration with Mixpanel pending a thorough investigation of the incident.

Recommended measures 

OpenAI also encouraged the affected users to stay on guard for potential second wave attacks using the stolen information. Users need to be especially vigilant for phishing and social engineer attacks that could be facilitated by the leaked information, such as names, e-mail addresses and company information. A class action has also been brought against OpenAI and Mixpanel, claiming the companies did nothing to stop the breach of data that revealed personally identifiable information for thousands of users.
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telecoms
Cyber Attacks Data Leak Freedom Mobile Internet telecoms

Telecom Company Freedom Mobile Suffers Data Breach Resulting in Data Leak


About the incident 

Freedom Mobile has revealed a data breach that leaked personal information belonging to a limited number of customers. This happened after illegal access to its internal systems in late October. 

As per the notice sent to customers, the breach was found in late October, when the security team found illicit activity on its customer account management platform.  "Our investigation revealed that a third party used the account of a subcontractor to gain access to the personal information of a limited number of our customers," the statement read.

Attack tactic

According to the investigation, a third-party got access via the account of a subcontractor. It means that a threat actor used genuine login credentials that belonged to an external partner, instead of directly breaking through technical defenses. After gaining access, the threat actors could view particular customer records. The exposed data consists home addresses, first and last names, contact numbers and Freedom Mobile account numbers. 

Details such as account passwords, banking details, credit card were not hacked. The incident impacted only personal profile data, nof authentication secrets or financial data. 

Once the intrusion was found, Freedom Mobile blocked malicious accounts and linked IP addresses, and deployed additional security measures on the platform. 

These steps generally involve strict access permissions, which adds extra monitoring and reviewing login rules for subcontractor ms like implementation of strong passwords and two-factor authentication. No exposed information has been misused, the company has said. 

Risks of stolen data

But the stolen data can be important for important social engineering and phishing attempts. 

Threat actors may use these details to send scam messages on behalf of Freedom Mobile. 

Freedom Mobile has requested customers to stay cautious of emails or texts that ask for personal information, or that redirect them to log in through links. 

Freedom Mobile has emphasized that it never asks for credit card numbers, PINs by email, SMS, passwords, or other banking information. "We quickly identified the incident and implemented corrective measures and security enhancements, including blocking the suspicious accounts and corresponding IP addresses," the company said.

Customers have also been suggested to check their device for any suspicious activity to avoid downloading unexpected attachments or suspicious links. Meanwhile, the investigation is still continuing.


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Personal Data
CyberCrime Data Breach Data Leak Data Privacy Concerns Data Safety User Data data security Personal Data

WhatsApp Enumeration Flaw Exposes Data of 3.5 Billion Users in Massive Scraping Incident

 

Security researchers in Austria uncovered a significant privacy vulnerability in WhatsApp that enabled them to collect the personal details of more than 3.5 billion registered users, an exposure they believe may be the largest publicly documented data leak to date. The issue stems from a long-standing feature that allows users to search WhatsApp accounts by entering phone numbers. While meant for convenience, the function can be exploited to automatically compile profiles at scale. 

Using phone numbers generated with a custom tool built on Google’s libphonenumber system, the research team was able to query account details at an astonishing rate—more than 100 million accounts per hour. They reported exceeding 7,000 automated lookups per second without facing IP bans or meaningful rate-limiting measures. Their findings indicate that WhatsApp’s registered user base is larger than previously disclosed, contradicting the platform’s statement that it serves “over two billion” users globally. 

The scraped records included phone numbers, account names, profile photos, and, in some cases, personal text attached to accounts. Over half of the identified users had public profile images, and a substantial portion contained identifiable human faces. About 29 percent included text descriptions, which researchers noted could reveal sensitive personal information such as sexuality, political affiliation, drug use, professional identities, or links to other platforms—including LinkedIn and dating apps.  
The study also revealed that millions of accounts belonged to phone numbers registered in countries where WhatsApp is restricted or banned, including China, Myanmar, and North Korea. Researchers warn that such exposure could put users in those regions at risk of government monitoring, penalties, or arrest. 

Beyond state-level dangers, experts stress that the harvested dataset could be misused by cybercriminals conducting targeted phishing campaigns, fraudulent messaging schemes, robocalling, and identity-based scams. The team emphasized that the persistence of phone numbers poses an ongoing risk: half of the numbers leaked during Facebook’s large-scale 2021 data scraping incident were still active in WhatsApp’s ecosystem. 

Meta confirmed receiving the researchers’ disclosure through its bug bounty process. The company stated that it has since deployed updated anti-scraping defenses and thanked the researchers for responsibly deleting collected data. According to WhatsApp engineering leadership, the vulnerability did not expose private messages or encrypted content. 

The researchers validated Meta’s claim, noting that the original enumeration method is now blocked. However, they highlighted that verifying security completeness remains difficult and emphasized the nearly year-long delay between initial reporting and effective remediation.  
Whether this incident triggers systemic scrutiny or remains an isolated cautionary case, it underscores a critical reality: even services built around encryption can expose sensitive user metadata, creating new avenues for surveillance and exploitation.
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User Privacy
Data Breach Data Leak Gainsight Salesforce User Privacy

Salesforce Probes Gainsight Breach Exposing Customer Data

 

Salesforce has disclosed that some of its customers' data was accessed following a breach of Gainsight, a platform used by businesses to manage customer relationships. The breach specifically affected Gainsight-published applications that were connected to Salesforce, with these apps being installed and managed directly by customers. 

Salesforce emphasized that the breach did not stem from vulnerabilities in its own platform, but rather from Gainsight's external connection to Salesforce. The company is actively investigating the incident and directed further inquiries to its dedicated incident response page.

Gainsight confirmed it was investigating a Salesforce connection issue, but did not explicitly acknowledge a breach, stating that its internal investigation was ongoing. Notable companies using Gainsight's services include Airtable, Notion, and GitLab. GitLab confirmed that its security team is investigating and will share more details as they become available.

The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach, stating that if Salesforce does not negotiate with them, they will set up a new website to advertise the stolen data—a common tactic for cybercriminals seeking financial gain. The group reportedly stole data from nearly a thousand companies, including details from Salesloft and GainSight campaigns. 

This breach mirrors a previous incident in August, where ShinyHunters exploited vulnerabilities in AI marketing chatbot maker Salesloft, compromising numerous customers' Salesforce instances and accessing sensitive information such as access tokens.

In the earlier Salesloft breach, victims included major organizations like Allianz Life, Bugcrowd, Cloudflare, Google, Kering, Proofpoint, Qantas, Stellantis, TransUnion, and Workday. The hackers subsequently launched a website to extort victims, threatening to release over a billion records. Gainsight was among those affected in the Salesloft-linked breaches, but it remains unclear if the latest wave of attacks originated from the same compromise or a separate incident.

Overall, this incident highlights the risks associated with third-party integrations in major cloud platforms and the growing sophistication of financially-motivated cybercriminals targeting customer data through supply chain vulnerabilities. Both Salesforce and Gainsight are continuing their investigations, with cybersecurity teams across affected organizations actively working to assess the extent of the breach and mitigate potential damage.
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