A database was accessible for over a month
As a result of the leak, 48 million Gmail passwords have been exposed online. According to the channel "Dozhd," the database remained open for more than a month.
Cybersecurity expert Jeremy Fowler discovered an unprotected database of significant size containing 149 million unique logins and passwords, among which were data from 48 million Gmail accounts. The total volume of the leak amounted to 96 gigabytes, and the files were not encrypted, as noted by Forbes.
In addition to Google accounts, this database contains data from users of other popular services. Among the most affected platforms were Facebook (17 million records), Instagram (6.5 million), Yahoo (4 million), Netflix (3.4 million), and Outlook (1.5 million).
Experts believe that the leak is not related to a hack of Google or Meta's servers. Most likely, the database is a collection of data obtained through malware that steals information directly from infected users' devices. Fowler noted that while he was researching the database, the number of records continued to grow.
The database remained publicly accessible without a password for over a month. According to Fowler, he found it difficult to get it removed. The hosting provider referred to a subsidiary company that refused to disclose information about the server's owner. Access to the data is currently closed.
Photo www
