Cybersecurity business backlinks Piers Morgan Twitter hack to leak of 400m records | Twitter
Doris Ratliff
3 min read
The previous Australian key minister Scott Morrison appears to have been caught up in a leak of partial data on 400 million Twitter end users, alongside with celebs like the design Cara Delevingne, US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and pop singer Shawn Mendes.
Morrison’s Twitter account was bundled in a sample of data produced by an alleged cybercriminal past 7 days.
A cybersecurity business which alerted to the assert claimed it was “possible not a coincidence” that media personality Piers Morgan, who also appeared in data samples printed by the hacker, has just experienced his Twitter account hacked.
Most of Morgan’s Twitter account articles experienced been wiped, but according to experiences, it experienced sent out slurs and abusive messages directed at the late Queen and at Uk singer Ed Sheeran.
Only Morrison’s official e-mail deal with, which was presently publicly accessible, was described as being bundled in the hack, and his cell phone amount was also not detailed, which could limit any possible hurt.
The hacker claimed the information experienced been “scraped” from Twitter by way of a “vulnerability” in the internet site, and “includes email messages and mobile phone numbers of stars, politicians, businesses, ordinary customers, and a lot of OG and special usernames”.
The hacker available details for sale “exclusively” to Twitter for US$200,000 (A$300,000) in purchase for the firm to stay clear of paying EU Standard Information Defense Regulation (GDPR) fines.
The Guardian has made a decision not to name the internet site.
In August, Twitter admitted that a vulnerability in its API units identified in January experienced allowed people today to find out what, if any Twitter account was affiliated with a mobile phone selection or e mail tackle. By exploiting the vulnerability, folks could patch collectively a information record of each public and personal information and facts – these types of as the personal cellphone figures and e-mail of substantial profile buyers.
The bug was brought about by an update to Twitter’s code in June 2021. It was patched at the time determined, but in July 2022, Twitter figured out “a bad actor experienced taken benefit of the issue ahead of it was addressed”.
That came after somebody attempted to offer the e-mail addresses and mobile phone quantities of 5.4 million consumers. Twitter said it would alert users verified to have been affected by the breach.
BREAKING: Hudson Rock found out a credible danger actor is selling 400,000,000 Twitter consumers information.
The non-public databases includes devastating quantities of info including email messages and cellular phone quantities of substantial profile buyers these kinds of as AOC, Kevin O’Leary, Vitalik Buterin & much more (1/2). pic.twitter.com/wQU5LLQeE1
— Hudson Rock (@RockHudsonRock) December 24, 2022
These details have been unveiled in November, with experiences at the time it could be the tip of the iceberg and no a single capable to confirm for positive how quite a few consumers experienced been caught up by people today exploiting the flaw.
Israeli cyber-intelligence business Hudson Rock appeared to be amongst the 1st to detect the submitting offering the facts of 400 million Twitter users, tweeting about the “credible threat” 3 days back.
So far, no a person has independently confirmed that the poster has obtain to what they declare.
Guardian Australia has contacted Morrison’s office for remark.
