Scraped data of 500 million LinkedIn users on sale

[Jet_ski]

Summary

Someone has managed to scrap 500 million LinkedIn users’ data and they’ve put it up for sale on a hacker forum. The information includes physical addresses, phone numbers, emails, etc.

 

LinkedIn comments to Gizmodo “While we’re still investigating this issue, the posted dataset appears to include publicly viewable information that was scraped from LinkedIn combined with data aggregated from other websites or companies,”

 

Quotes

Quote

While users on the hacker forum can view the leaked samples for about $2 worth of forum credits, the threat actor appears to be auctioning the much-larger 500 million user database for at least a 4-digit sum, presumably in bitcoin.

 

My thoughts

LinkedIn wants to brush this off but this raises serious questions about their platform’s security if they don’t even have basic measures against data scrappers. Maybe hackers realized they don’t need to hack their database when they can just download all of it!

 

If someone scrapped 500 million users’ worth of data, it’s possible that they used fake LinkedIn accounts to connect with people to see their complete profile! Which would make this more serious than basic scrapping.

 

Sources

https://cybernews.com/news/stolen-data-of-500-million-linkedin-users-being-sold-online-2-million-leaked-as-proof-2/
 

https://gizmodo.com/leak-of-a-reported-500-million-profiles-actually-very-b-1846639157

[RegulatorRWF]

9 minutes ago, Jet_ski said:

Summary

Someone has managed to scrap 500 million LinkedIn users’ data and they’ve put it up for sale on a hacker forum. The information includes physical addresses, phone numbers, emails, etc.

 

LinkedIn comments to Gizmodo “While we’re still investigating this issue, the posted dataset appears to include publicly viewable information that was scraped from LinkedIn combined with data aggregated from other websites or companies,”

 

Quotes

 

My thoughts

LinkedIn wants to brush this off but this raises serious questions about their platform’s security if they don’t even have basic measures against data scrappers. Maybe hackers realized they don’t need to hack their database when they can just download all of it!

 

If someone scrapped 500 million users’ worth of data, it’s possible that they used fake LinkedIn accounts to connect with people to see their complete profile! Which would make this more serious than basic scrapping.

 

Sources

https://cybernews.com/news/stolen-data-of-500-million-linkedin-users-being-sold-online-2-million-leaked-as-proof-2/
 

https://gizmodo.com/leak-of-a-reported-500-million-profiles-actually-very-b-1846639157

If you put information onto a public profile expect that anyone who wants that data has it. This is nothing to lose sleep over IMO. Yes fake profiles can be created but that is true of any platform.

[Donut417]

9 minutes ago, Jet_ski said:

Maybe hackers realized they don’t need to hack their database when they can just download all of it!

I mean Linked In is like Facebook. One of my coworkers found my LinkedIn profile easily and from what I read, most of the data is probably public info anyway. The only downside for me is the email and phone number. Ill likely seem more spam and bs calls. 

 

Im not too worried about it. Why? Because some ass hole named Equifax already leaked all my data and credit history and such. I have my credit on Ice. Meaning only the companies I currently deal with can run a credit report. All others are not able to unless I unfreeze my credit or provide permission. 

[RegulatorRWF]

17 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

I mean Linked In is like Facebook. One of my coworkers found my LinkedIn profile easily and from what I read, most of the data is probably public info anyway. The only downside for me is the email and phone number. Ill likely seem more spam and bs calls. 

 

Im not too worried about it. Why? Because some ass hole named Equifax already leaked all my data and credit history and such. I have my credit on Ice. Meaning only the companies I currently deal with can run a credit report. All others are not able to unless I unfreeze my credit or provide permission. 

How did you do this, is it something anyone can do?

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, RegulatorRWF said:

How did you do this, is it something anyone can do?

You go to each of the credit bureaus websites and you I think have to pay for the privilege but its worth it. 

[Fasterthannothing]

Lol imagine thinking that pulling publicly available information is hacking

[Beskamir]

And this is why I don't use LinkedIn and can't stand it when people assume I have it or worse imply I need it.

[Jet_ski]

13 hours ago, SlidewaysZ said:

Lol imagine thinking that pulling publicly available information is hacking

Who called it hacking? 

[Fasterthannothing]

25 minutes ago, Jet_ski said:

Who called it hacking? 

You did a hacker isn't someone who scrapes a database. If that were true almost every programmer would be considered a hacker.

14 hours ago, Jet_ski said:

My thoughts

Maybe hackers realized they don’t need to hack their database when they can just download all of it!

 

[Jet_ski]

28 minutes ago, SlidewaysZ said:

You did a hacker isn't someone who scrapes a database. If that were true almost every programmer would be considered a hacker.

 

I wasn’t calling this a hack or saying saying scrapping is hacking. I was saying people don’t need to hack if they can just scrap the whole thing.