Threat Management, Network Security, Vulnerability Management

Pornhub dismisses hacker’s offer to sell access to servers as hoax

A hacker calling himself Revolver yesterday advertised on Twitter that he was selling access to Pornhub servers for $1,000 after discovering an exploit, but the pornography video sharing website is disputing the veracity of this hack.

According to a Softpedia report, the hacker hinted he discovered a vulnerability in how Pornhub processes user-submitted image uploads. This flaw supposedly allowed Revolver to upload a webshell on Pornhub's servers that granted him command injection capabilities. The purported hack sounded similar to the recently disclosed ImageTragick exploit, though the hacker reportedly claimed he used a different tactic.

Pornhub, which earlier this month launched a bug bounty program, at first responded to the threat via Twitter, noting that it could not find evidence that its production server was accessed. The website later issued an official statement debunking Revolver's claims, explaining that “the attack as described by the hacker is not technically possible. This incident was merely a hoax and no Pornhub systems were breached during those recent events.”

Bradley Barth

As director of community content at CyberRisk Alliance, Bradley Barth develops content for SC Media online conferences and events, as well as video/multimedia projects. For nearly six years, he wrote and reported for SC Media as deputy editor and, before that, senior reporter. He was previously a program executive with the tech-focused PR firm Voxus. Past journalistic experience includes stints as business editor at Executive Technology, a staff writer at New York Sportscene and a freelance journalist covering travel and entertainment. In his spare time, Bradley also writes screenplays.

Get daily email updates

SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news

By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.