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Huge Facebook leak exposes 400 MILLION users' phone numbers in latest privacy lapse
From: Destry Winant <destry () riskbasedsecurity com>
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2019 09:30:31 -0500
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7430263/400-mn-Facebook-users-phone-numbers-exposed-privacy-lapse-reports.html Phone numbers linked to more than 400 million Facebook accounts have been posted online in the latest security disaster for the firm. According to TechCrunch, 133 million US accounts, more than 50 million in Vietnam, and 18 million in Britain were among 419 million records left in an open online server that was not secured with a password. This includes, according to the person who unearthed the database, profiles and phone numbers of some celebrities. Facebook has confirmed the report, but said the total number is likely to be around half because of duplicate entries. This latest issue is thought to be from publicly available information previously used to allow people to search for others by using their phone number, which was disabled in April 2018 in response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. It is claimed that the server listed some accounts and their geographical locations, with a user's unique Facebook ID stored alongside their phone number, as well as their gender. The implications of the haul mean people were exposed to potential fraud attempts. Including, spam calls and SIM-swapping attacks where criminals try and get hold of more personal details by deceiving carrier firms. The server was not password protected, meaning anyone could access the databases. It remained online until late Wednesday when TechCrunch contacted the site's host. Facebook confirmed parts of the report but downplayed the extent of the exposure, saying that the number of accounts so far confirmed was around half of the reported 419 million. Sanyam Jain, a security researcher and member of the GDI Foundation, first discovered the database. The owner was unable to be found by either him or TechCrunch but it was taken offline when the web host was informed. It added that many of the entries were duplicates and that the data was old. 'The dataset has been taken down and we have seen no evidence that Facebook accounts were compromised,' a Facebook spokesperson told AFP. As the database has now been taken offline, there is no way for concerned users to find out if their information was leaked. Sites like HaveIBeenPwned are good ways of checking details against all known leaks, but is not a bulletproof method. Kate Bevan, Which? Computing Editor, said: 'Facebook has taken positive steps to tighten security since this breach but it will still worry users that millions of phone numbers could make it into the hands of criminals - leaving them open to being targeted by cold-calling, fraudsters and other scams. 'If you've uploaded your phone number to Facebook at any point, it's worth being extra-vigilant about calls claiming to be from tech support warning that your computer or router is compromised and other unexpected cold callers. 'Facebook must also reassure users that their data is being properly protected following this confirmation.' Following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, when a firm used Facebook's lax privacy settings to access millions of users' personal details, the company disabled a feature that allowed users to search the platform by phone numbers. The exposure of a user's phone number leaves them vulnerable to spam calls, SIM-swapping - as recently happened to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey - with hackers able to force-reset the passwords of the compromised accounts. In July, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it had agreed a settlement with the social media giant which would see it pay a £4 billion fine and introduce a number of new audits into its business that would ensure privacy and data protection is in place. _______________________________________________ BreachExchange mailing list sponsored by Risk Based Security BreachExchange () lists riskbasedsecurity com If you wish to Edit your membership or Unsubscribe you can do so at the following link: https://lists.riskbasedsecurity.com/listinfo/breachexchange
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- Huge Facebook leak exposes 400 MILLION users' phone numbers in latest privacy lapse Destry Winant (Sep 06)