Incident Details
A misconfigured PHP server exposed database credentials for our beta VPS management platform, allowing threat actors to access the database. Fortunately, the authentication tokens for the virtualization nodes were protected by our firewall, preventing the threat actors from exploiting them. Upon receiving a copy of the database from a potential attacker via Discord, we promptly notified the Romanian national cyber security and incident response team (DNSC) via email. In their investigation, they confirmed that the compromised data only contained 45 email addresses and usernames of beta participants.
Incident
How Did the Breach Happen?
The data breach took place as a result of a PHP server being misconfigured, leading to the exposure of database credentials related to the company's beta VPS management platform.
What Data has been Compromised?
The breach led to the exposure of personal information, consisting of 45 email addresses and usernames of individuals involved in the beta testing process.
Why Did the company's Security Measures Fail?
The company's security system was compromised because of an error in setting up the PHP server, resulting in the exposure of database login information.
What Immediate Impact Did the Breach Have on the company?
The breach led to unauthorized entry and retrieval of a duplicate of the company's database, potentially putting at risk the personal details of individuals participating in the beta testing.
How could this have been prevented?
In order to avoid incidents like these, the company should have put in place adequate configuration management procedures, conducted routine security assessments, and established strong access restrictions for their servers.
What have we learned from this data breach?
The recent breach serves as a reminder of the essential role of setting up and safeguarding server systems correctly, performing routine security evaluations, and swiftly dealing with weaknesses to thwart any unauthorized access and data breaches.
Summary of Coverage
A misconfigured PHP server was the cause of the breach that resulted in the exposure of database credentials for the company's beta VPS management platform. Personal information that was compromised included 45 email addresses and usernames of individuals participating in the beta testing. The company's security protocols were ineffective due to the misconfiguration, which led to unauthorized access and data extraction from the database. To avoid similar incidents, it is essential to prioritize proper configuration management, conduct routine security assessments, and implement strong access controls.