New TikTok hack reportedly exposes source code and user data

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TikTok is the target of a recent alleged hack that includes billions of records. This comes after a group posted an alleged database on a hacking forum claiming it came from a TikTok breach.

Bleeping Computer originally reported on the potential breach. But TikTok has been quick to fight back against the claims.

The discovery came from a popular hacking forum where hackers by the name “AgainstTheWest” shared a dump of what they claimed to be source code and personal data from TikTok users.

The hackers claim that the data came from an unsecured server containing 790GB of data in more than 2 billion records. The data includes user data, platform statistics, source code, and more.

This is your forewarning. #TikTok has reportedly suffered a #data #breach, and if true there may be fallout from it in the coming days. We recommend you change your TikTok #password and enable Two-Factor Authentication, if you have not done so already. pic.twitter.com/SvifAp5B24

— BeeHive CyberSecurity (@BeeHiveCyberSec) September 4, 2022

But, of course, TikTok denies the claims and has come out to say that information included in the so-called breach is all publically available info.

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In a statement to The Verge, a company spokesperson notes, “We have confirmed that the data samples in question are all publicly accessible and are not due to any compromise of TikTok systems, networks, or databases.”

Other industry analysts have agreed that it’s too early to claim that a hack took place at TikTok. Troy Hunt, creator of Have I Been Pwned, says it’s unclear if TikTok was breached and that most of the data posted is publicly accessible.

This is so far pretty inconclusive; some data matches production info, albeit publicly accessible info. Some data is junk, but it could be non-production or test data. It's a bit of a mixed bag so far.

— Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) September 5, 2022

So for now, it’s unclear exactly where “AgainstTheWest” gathered this data from. It looks like most of the data shared is publicly accessible. Though it is a bit odd to see it all lumped together on a hacking forum.

It might be a good idea to go ahead and change your TikTok password and enable two-factor authentication. Just to be safe.

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