An unsecured
database operated by the online retailer LightInTheBox left 1.3TB of data containing
1.6 billion shopper records exposed for a three-month period this year.
In what the breach
discovers VPNMentor described as a major lapse in LighInTheBox’s data security
and potentially devastating to the victims exposing them to not only a
cyberattack but potentially a physical confrontation as the data included
enough clues to allow a malicious actor to discover their home address.
LightInTheBox
sells apparel, small accessories and gadgets along with home and garden to
customers worldwide. The database was a web server log containing a history of
page requests and user activity that took place between Aug. 9, 2019 and October
11, 2019 and contained information such as Users’ IP addresses, countries of
residence, email addresses, destination pages and user activity on the website.
VPNMentor found the database on November 20, contacted the company four days
later and the content was locked down that same day.
VPNMentor said the entire situation could have been avoided if LightInTheBox
had simply secure its servers and implemented proper access rules.
“The exposed
data makes those affected vulnerable to many forms of fraud and online attacks.
With access to user emails, cybercriminals could create convincing phishing
campaigns with emails imitating LightInTheBox,” said VPNMentor’s Noam Rotem and
Ran Locar, noting this information could enable a criminal to figure out
exactly where a person lives.
“With a
website user’s IP address, we were able to identify their city of residence. If
a criminal hacker had access to this, along with the other data exposed, they
could trick a victim into revealing their home address, and target them for
theft and home robbery,” they said.
Rotem and
Locar pointed out the fact the data breach is coming to light during the holiday
shopping season leaves LightInTheBox wide open to having its reputation ruined.
