Flightradar24 data leaks: 230,000 users are affected
Flightradar24 can be said to be one of the most popular flight tracking services in the world. With Google Maps and Airline information, users can not only visually see the aircraft’s position but also can click on or search for a flight to know the airline and flight altitude. , whether punctuality and other information, its database even includes the historical data of the plane.
However, starting earlier this week, some Flightradar24 users began receiving emails with password reset links and forced them to change their passwords. E-mail alerts users that due to security breaches, users who registered before March 16, 2016 (more than 230,000 people) may be exposed to personal information, including email addresses and hashed passwords associated with registered accounts.
The sudden arrival of the e-mail has caused many flightradar24 users to feel puzzled because Flightradar24 has not announced this through their blog or social media accounts. The password reset links in emails have even made some users suspect that they have become targets of phishing attacks.
Fortunately, Flightradar24 later responded to the user’s queries in its official forum and on Twitter, saying that the emails were legitimate and that the data breaches did indeed exist. The company also stressed that the leaked data was only mentioned in the e-mail, and the payment information or other personal information was not damaged.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed that the security breach was limited to one of the servers and payment information was not stored in it. Later this week, the server was immediately shut down after it was discovered that it had invaded.
The company also stated that the compromised password was processed by a hashing algorithm but did not specify which algorithm or Salt protection used. In password protection technology, salt is a random data string used to modify the password hash, which can add an extra layer of security for hashed passwords.
To protect the security of user accounts, Flightradar24 has now revoked the old passwords previously used by the affected users, forcing them to set a new password before accessing the account.
Security experts also reminded that if these users have the habit of using passwords for reuse, that is, using the same password on different online services and platforms, it is necessary to change all passwords immediately.
Source: theinquirer
