• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact
  • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy statement (CA)
    • Cookie policy (CA)
    • Privacy statement (UK)
    • Cookie policy (UK)
    • Privacy statement (US)
    • Cookie Policy (US)
    • Privacy statement (EU)
    • Cookie policy (EU)
    • Disclaimer

TechWalls

Technology News | Gadget Reviews | Tutorials

  • Reviews
  • Tech News
  • Tech Guide
  • Gadget & Apps

13 million Mac user credentials leaked online

Updated on Dec 16, 2015 by Guest Authors

Apple used to be a bastion of computer security, its products seemingly invincible in the face of malware. But a recent security discovery might change that perception.

Security researcher Chris Vickery blew the whistle on the 13 million MacKeeper user credentials, including usernames and passwords, that were leaked online via the search engine Shodan, which works to index devices and servers that are linked to the Web. It is hard to categorize the incident as a data breach since the leak did not require any hacking tactic.

mackeeper

MacKeeper helps Mac users operate their computers smoothly. But on top of keeping a smooth Mac experience, Vickery also found that it is possible to gain access to MacKeeper user data by just downloading in order to view the millions of usernames and passwords stored in a database with no protection whatsoever.

It is a sort of internal flaw on the part of the MacKeeper software. What happens here is that MacKeeper’s own database becomes virtually open to hackers via the Internet, thus enabling anyone to view and, perhaps in more dire circumstances, steal user credentials. Anybody who surfs through the Shodan search engine would be able to gain access to the insecure MacKeeper database. As simple as that!

This is not the first time, however, that MacKeeper was involved in a major user data leak. Other security researchers criticized the software in recent memory because it had engaged in a scareware technique of forcing users into subscribing to the premium version of the software after the free trial use. Otherwise, they would be exposed to attacks in the absence of the necessary security features that came with the paid version.

That was in the 2014, during which the company that previously owned the software faced a class-action suit. Zeobit, the owner then, settled the lawsuit with $2 million. The software is now being developed and maintained by Kromtech, which boasts of an anti-theft tracking feature in the product, in all irony.

Kromtech acknowledged Vickery’s findings, adding that the needed fixes have been rolled out before any untoward incident could befall the software product such as malicious attacks. The company also assured users that no sensitive data were leaked to hackers, and that the software’s database was accessed only once, which indicates only Vickery has so far been the one able to gain access to the data.

For his part, the security researcher confirmed that the data he accessed were never used inappropriately, only for the sole purpose of his research.

Disclosure: We might earn commission from qualifying purchases. The commission help keep the rest of my content free, so thank you!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

New iDPRT Printers – SP450, SP420, and Zeva 1966 Photo Printer Reviewed

Munbyn P44S Wireless Thermal Label Printer Review

Master & Dynamic MW75 Wireless Headphones Review – Get Lost in the Music

3DMakerPro Mole 3D Scanner Review – Affordable, Portable, and Easy To Use

Follow TechWalls

YoutubeFacebookTwitterInstagram

Recent Posts

  • How to Buy A Tesla EV in Connecticut
  • Growatt VITA 550 Power Station – Save Money and Stay Eco-Friendly
  • New iDPRT Printers – SP450, SP420, and Zeva 1966 Photo Printer Reviewed
  • Munbyn P44S Wireless Thermal Label Printer Review

Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved

Manage Cookie Consent
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}