Hacker publishes Twitter access data

Published August 21, 2013 9:28am

A hacker has published so-called access details for several Twitter accounts, but the microblogging service maintained no Twitter account was compromised.

The hacker from Mauritania using the name "Mauritania Attacker" published online the details of 15,000 supposedly hacked accounts, tech site GigaOM reported.

He also claimed to have access to the “entire database of users on Twitter,” the report added.

But while GigaOM said the data he published did not include passwords, they had OAuth tokens, which are used to connect Twitter accounts to third-party services.

"(T)his information in itself can help miscreants gain limited access to people’s accounts if they run the right script," GigaOM said.

Twitter insists no account compromised

A separate report on Mashable quoted a Twitter spokesperson that no Twitter account was compromised.

"We have investigated the situation and can confirm that no Twitter accounts were compromised," the Twitter spokesperson said.

However, Mashable also said the latest attack came a day after Twitter advised its verified users to use two-step authentication.

Third-party app

Mashable also cited a source close to the matter who said the issue "involved a specific third-party app which has already been suspended by Twitter." — TJD, GMA News

Tags: twitter, hacking