The data of 400 million Twitter users is for sale on the black market

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The data of 400 million Twitter users containing private emails and linked phone numbers has allegedly been offered for sale on the black market.

Cybercrime intelligence firm Hudson Rock uncovered a credible threat via Twitter on Dec. 24 in which someone is allegedly selling a private database containing contact information for 400 million Twitter user accounts.

The private database contains devastating amounts of information, including emails and phone numbers of high profile users such as AOC, Kevin O’Leary, Vitalik Buterin and more, Hudson Rock said, before to add that:

In the post, the threat actor claims the data was obtained in early 2022 due to a vulnerability on Twitter, as well as attempting to extort Elon Musk into buying the data or facing GDPR lawsuits .

Hudson Rock said that while he was unable to fully verify the hackers’ claims given the number of accounts, he said independent verification of the data itself appears legitimate.

BREAKING: Hudson Rock discovered a credible threat actor was selling the data of 400,000,000 Twitter users.

The private database contains devastating amounts of information, including emails and phone numbers of high profile users such as AOC, Kevin O’Leary, Vitalik Buterin and more (1/2). pic.twitter.com/wQU5LLQeE1

— Hudson Rock (@RockHudsonRock) December 24, 2022

Web3 security company DeFiYield also reviewed 1,000 accounts given as a sample by the hacker and verified that the data is real. He also contacted the hacker via Telegram and noted that they were actively waiting for a buyer there.

If proven, the breach could be a significant cause for concern for crypto Twitter users, especially those who operate under a pseudonym.

However, some users have pointed out that such a large-scale breach is hard to believe, given that the current number of active monthly users is said to be around 450 million.

At the time of writing, the alleged hacker still posted a message on Breached announcing the database to buyers. It also has a specific call to action for Elon Musk to pay $276 million to prevent the data from being sold and face a fine from the General Data Protection Regulation agency.

If Musk pays the fee, the hacker says he will delete the data and it won’t be sold to anyone else to stop many celebrities and politicians from phishing, crypto scams, SIM card swaps, Doxxing and stuff.

Hacker’s Database Announcement: Hacked

The hacked data in question is believed to be from the Zero-Day Hack on Twitter in which a June 2021 application programming interface vulnerability was exploited before being patched in January this year. The bug essentially allowed hackers to harvest private information which they then compiled into databases to sell on the dark web.

Related: Crypto Twitter Confused By SBF’s $250M Bail And A Return To Luxury

Alongside this supposed database, two others have already been identified, one with around 5.5 million users and another with up to 17 million users, according to a Nov. 27 report from Bleeping Computer. .

The dangers of leaking such information online include targeted phishing attempts via SMS and email, attacks by swapping SIM cards to obtain accounts, and doxing private information.

There are serious concerns about this. #1 – Many pseudo-accounts’ identities will be public, putting them at risk #2 – With a phone number, it’s very easy to find out anyone’s address and banking information. #3 – Several phishing attempts via mobile phone, physical or email

— Haseeb Awan – efani.com (@haseeb) December 25, 2022

People are advised to take precautions such as ensuring that two-factor authentication settings are enabled for their various accounts, through an app and not their phone number, as well as changing their passwords and store them securely, and also to use a private personal account. -hosted crypto wallet.

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