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.
