Cybersecurity researchers have reported the discovery of a massive database with over 26 billion leaked data records, the largest ever revealed to date.
The leak of passwords and other data affects global users of a large number of platforms and social networks, such as Chinese messaging giant Tencent and social network Weibo, Twitter/X, Dropbox, LinkedIn, Adobe, Canva and Telegram.
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According to researchers at Security Discovery and CyberNews, the newly discovered leaked database is 12 terabytes in size and deserves the title MOAB, which stands for Mother of All Breaches. For this reason, network and platform users are advised to check the status of their accounts, update their passwords and activate two-factor authentication.
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine were also cyber (photo: AdobeStock).
The research team believes that the database of 26 billion records, found on an open storage instance, was likely compiled by a malicious actor or data broker. And it may have been completed thanks to a wide range of cyber attacks, such as identity theft, phishing schemes and unauthorized access to personal and confidential accounts.
What is it and what is MOAB filtration
Mother of All Breaches (MOAB) is a massive and unprecedented data breach that has rocked the cybersecurity landscape. Discovered by Cybernews in collaboration with cybersecurity researcher Bob Dyachenko, MOAB is one of the largest and most comprehensive data breaches discovered to date, revealing a staggering 26 billion records, or more than 12 terabytes of data.
This gigantic set of compromised information is an amalgamation of information from various leaks and cyberattacks.
“The dataset is extremely dangerous,” said the researchers who discovered the leak.
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What data was leaked and revealed
It is estimated that among the information revealed and discovered there are large amounts of:
- Personal Information: Users’ names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other personal information. This data is often subject to identity theft and fraudulent activity.
- Credentials: Usernames, email addresses and passwords, which pose a significant threat, especially if people reuse passwords across multiple platforms.
- Financial Information: Exposure of financial data, including credit card numbers, bank account details, and transaction records. This type of information can be used to commit financial fraud.
- Social media data: Records from platforms such as Tencent, Weibo, Twitter and LinkedIn, among other social networks.
- Entertainment and gaming data: Services such as Deezer, Zynga and MyFitnessPal are part of the breach, and it means user accounts, preferences and potentially even in-app purchase details could be compromised.
- Government documents: Government organizations in multiple countries, raising concerns about the exposure of sensitive data and potentially compromising the national security of multiple countries.
Affected networks and platforms
The most notable networks and platforms affected by the MOAB leak are:
- Tencent – 1.5 billion accounts
- Weibo – 504 million
- MySpace – 360 million
- Twitter – 281 million
- Deezer – 258 million
- LinkedIn – 251 million
- AdultFriendFinder – 220 million
- Zynga – 217 million
- Adobe – 153 million
- MyFitnessPal – 151 million
- Canva – 143 million
- Badoo – 127 million
2024-01-24 01:05:00
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