As of July 18th, it came out that a cybercrime forum known as Leak Zone was leaking its own users' IP addresses to the open internet. This was a stunning slip-up in operational security.
This unsecured database held over 22 million records. It stored the exact timestamp and IP address of users as they logged in to the forum.
The records were recent, with dates running up to June 25. The database was also confirmed to be updating in real time as new users logged in. The database has now been taken down, but the exposure is still a major security incident for everyone who uses the forum.
What Does This Exposure Mean for a Platform’s Users?
For the users of any platform that has been broken into, like Leak Zone, the direct consequences can be severe. The exposed records weren't directly tied to individual user accounts. Even so, a real-world IP address can be used to track down and identify users.
If someone uses a forum that openly promotes "illegal services," getting found out could lead to an investigation by law enforcement. It could also bring about other serious personal and legal problems. This type of data leak shatters the assumption of anonymity that these websites count on to operate and completely wears away user trust.
To make matters worse, some of the records TechCrunch looked into showed whether a user was thought to be using a proxy or VPN.
This suggests that even users who took steps to cover up their real-world location might have been exposed. The reason for such data exposures is often simple human error or a server misconfiguration, not a malicious attack. This is a risk that all organizations have to put up with.
It remains unclear if they know about the lapse or if they plan to let their 109,000 users know what happened. This lack of accountability leaves users in the dark about their data being put at risk.
Who is Leak Zone?
Leak Zone is a cybercrime forum that took off in popularity around 2020. The site advertises access to a "vast collection of leaks ranging from breached databases to cracked accounts." On top of trading stolen data, the forum sets up a marketplace for users to buy and sell other "illegal services," according to its own site guide.
An analysis from UpGuard pointed out that 95% of the records in the exposed database had to do with Leak Zone user logins. The rest of the data was linked to another illicit site, AccountBot.
Reporters from TechCrunch checked out the active data leak for themselves. They set up an account on Leak Zone and immediately saw a new record pop up in the database. This record had their IP address and the exact time they logged in.
How Do You Prevent Unintentional Data Exposure?
The fact remains that the best way to fight against unintentional data exposure is with a centralized access management system that makes it harder to get to sensitive infrastructure.
The risk of exposing critical data is always there, whether it comes from human error, a misconfiguration, or a phishing attack that fools an administrator.
This is where a zero-trust framework comes in. It's essential because it can almost completely wipe out the risk of these leaks.
With software like Infisign, you have a zero-trust framework that works by decentralizing authorized user identities and backing them up with passwordless authentication.
On top of this, you can set up multi-factor authentication and a privileged access management framework. This ensures that only a select few individuals can get into critical information like production databases.
Want to know more? Reach out to the team at Infisign for a free trial.
