A vulnerability in Twitter’s software program that uncovered an undetermined variety of homeowners of nameless accounts to potential identification compromise final 12 months was apparently exploited by a malicious actor, the social media firm stated Friday.
It didn’t affirm a report that knowledge on 5.4 million customers was supplied on the market on-line in consequence however stated customers worldwide had been affected.
The breach is very worrisome as a result of many Twitter account homeowners, together with human rights activists, don’t disclose their identities of their profiles for safety causes that embody worry of persecution by repressive authorities.
“That is very dangerous for a lot of who use pseudonymous Twitter accounts,” U.S. Naval Academy knowledge safety skilled Jeff Kosseff tweeted.
The vulnerability allowed somebody to find out throughout log-in whether or not a selected cellphone quantity or electronic mail deal with was tied to an current Twitter account, thereby revealing account homeowners, the corporate stated.
Twitter stated it didn’t know what number of customers could have been affected, and careworn that no passwords had been uncovered.
“We will affirm the affect was world,” a Twitter spokesperson stated by way of electronic mail. “We can’t decide precisely what number of accounts had been impacted or the situation of the account holders.”
Twitter’s acknowledgment in a weblog submit Friday adopted a report final month by t he digital privateness advocacy group Restore Privateness detailing how knowledge presumably obtained from the vulnerability was being bought on a preferred hacking discussion board for $30,000.
A safety researcher found the flaw in January, knowledgeable Twitter and was paid a reported $5,000 bounty. Twitter stated the bug, launched in a June 2021 software program replace, was instantly fastened.
Twitter stated it realized in regards to the knowledge sale on the hacking discussion board from media studies and “confirmed {that a} dangerous actor had taken benefit of the difficulty earlier than it was addressed.”
It stated it was straight notifying all account homeowners that it might affirm had been affected.
“We’re publishing this replace as a result of we aren’t in a position to affirm each account that was doubtlessly impacted, and are significantly aware of individuals with pseudonymous accounts who might be focused by state or different actors,” the corporate stated.
It advisable customers searching for to maintain their identities veiled not add a publicly recognized cellphone quantity or electronic mail deal with to their Twitter account.
“When you function a pseudonymous Twitter account, we perceive the dangers an incident like this may introduce and deeply remorse that this occurred,” it stated.
The revelation of the breach comes whereas Twitter is in a authorized battle with Tesla CEO Elon Musk over his try to again out from his earlier provide to purchase San Francisco-based Twitter for $44 billion.
