Hackers leaked information of 211 million Twitter users

Norwegian users are also among those affected.

The information stems from several hacker intrusions on the platform dating back to 2021. Twitter says the vulnerability the hackers exploited was closed in January 2022. Norwegian users are also among those affected.

The files posted contain the email address, username, real name, number of followers, and the time the account was created. It should not contain passwords. The issue was first discussed before the edge.

Hackers exploited a vulnerability in the Twitter API. The company admitted the bug in August 2022, and said it fixed the bug seven months ago. However, they claimed that they are not aware of any cases of breaching the security hole. Now it turns out that the reality was completely different.

Although the passwords are not part of the leak, the information hackers have obtained can be misused in many different ways, such as phishing and information mining. Phishing is a form of fraud where hackers use the information they have obtained and trick you into providing more sensitive information. Doxxing means publishing the personal information of others against their will.

Troy Hunt who is behind the service I’ve been pwned, passed the leaked data, and uploaded it to their system. There you can enter your email address and check if it is part of these leaks or other known hacker leaks.

Twitter’s technical stability and security have been called into question after Elon Musk laid off thousands of employees and closed one of the company’s three data centers. The leak, which is now known, dates back to before Musk bought Twitter, but EU and US authorities have nonetheless launched an investigation into the company.