Photo: © AFP
Cybernews research has discovered one of the largest data leaks mainly involving Chinese nationals. One unknown server exposed 1.5 billion records of users’ sensitive data, such as full names, government ID numbers, and more.
The unprotected server, which contains hundreds of millions of records, houses data from several major brands, such as JD.com (142 million exposed records), Weibo, DiDi, various Chinese banks, and many others.
Cybernews researchers believe the dataset is likely a mix of known and completely new data leaks collated on a single nowclosed Elasticsearch server. While not all 1.5 billion records were exposed for the first time, some undoubtedly were, as the analysts found no indication of previous data leaks from companies included in the list.
The largest number of identifiable records were grouped in a collection credited to QQ messenger, Tencent’s instant messaging software. The second largest collection of leaked records, 504 million, was credited to Weibo, sometimes called China’s Twitter.
It is worth noting that while 1.5 billion records were exposed, this does not mean the same number of individuals had their details leaked online. Since details come from different platforms, organizations, and economic sectors, some users may have had their data leaked several times.
“Saying the magnitude of this leak is alarming is an understatement. The leaks’ volume alone is mindboggling. Worse so, the exposed server had data from essential sectors like healthcare and finance, amplifying the potential harm,” Cybernews researchers said in a statement.
What data was exposed?
• Full names
• Email addresses
• Platform ID numbers
• Usernames
• Phone numbers
• Healthcare data
• Financial records
• Transportationrelated details
• Educationrelated records
As the database’s owner remains unknown, it raises serious concerns about data privacy and security.
Spotlight: China
The third largest exposed dataset, with over 25 million records, was credited to China’s largest courier service, SF Express. The researchers discovered tens of thousands of leaked records titled Sichuan Nurse, another million titled Doctor and Patient, and 400,000 more credited to pharmacies.
Collections like Securities (243k), China Provident Fund (531k), China Union Pay Users (1.1 million), China Merchants Bank (1 million), Bank of China (985k), as well as a collection named Cryptocurrency (100k), strongly suggest a massive financial data exposure.
In addition, the collection of Zhejiang Student Records (9 million) and Graduate data (366k) points to the exposure of educational data likely involving millions of Chinese students. There’s also the addition of the Zhilian collection (1.1 million), which likely refers to Zhillian Technology, an automotive R&D company.
With specific records, 2.6 million records were credited to vehicle owners, and another 3.5 million were credited to an unnamed driving school, pointing to the server owners’ interest in Chinese motorists. Another 65k records were attributed to customers of an unknown mobile carrier, residents of Beijing (196k), KFC China (5 million), and Household registration data (5.4 million).
