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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Jan 06, 2023, 07:45 AM IST
In a new alleged data theft, the email addresses of over 200 million users on Twitter has been leaked online and if on offer for free on a hacker forum, a cybersecurity researcher alerted on Thursday.
The data stolen contains the email addresses that millions of users entered to create their Twitter accounts. The data breach alert was issued online by Alon Gal, Chief Technology Officer of Hudson Rock. Screenshots of the alleged leaked data posted online by the cybersecurity researcher showed names and official screen names of several prominent personalities including names of Indian celebrities like star sportsmen Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag and Bollywood actors Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Anushka Sharma among others.
Screenshot of the alleged data shared by the cybersecurity researcher online showing names and screen names of several celebrities
The alleged data leak may come as a concern for anonymous users who had created their Twitter accounts using sensitive email addresses, the BBC reported. The data has not been independently verified by DNA. Such leaks can often include fake, old or duplicate data.
Hudson Rock’s Alon Gal first spotted the data leak and has called it significant. He wrote on LinkedIn that hackers “will use the new leaked Twitter database” for purposes like targeting Crypto Twitter accounts, hacking into high profile accounts, hacking into “OG” accounts with good usernames, hacking into political accounts, doxxing “anonymous” accounts which have not used a “dedicated email for Twitter”.
The leak can “unfortunately lead to a lot of accounts getting hacked, targeted with phishing, and doxxed”, the researcher told BBC. The data can reportedly be unlocked with 20p worth of forum credits. It also said that interest was shown in the database by some users with one writing “Thanks for your service cannot wait for the chaos”.
The data was downloaded by the Bleeping Computer website which confirmed that the email addresses given were accurate for many listed profiles on Twitter. The database also contained duplicate information, it was found.
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