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Twitter #Hacked

Posted by timothy on from the coz-it's-a-hashtag-see dept.

theodp writes "Earlier this week, hackers gained access to Twitter's internal systems and stole information, compromising 250,000 Twitter accounts before the breach was stopped. Reporting the incident on the company's official blog, Twitter's manager of network security did not specify the method by which hackers penetrated its system, but mentioned vulnerabilities related to Java in Safari and Firefox, and echoed Homeland Security's advisory that users disable Java in their browsers. Sure, blame everything on Larry Ellison. Looks like bad things do happen in threes — Twitter's report comes on the heels of disclosures of hacking attacks on the WSJ and NY Times."

5 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Safari and Firefox by icebike · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who reads twitter with a web browser anymore? All quarter million of these accounts?
    Or was that avenue used to gain access on a server to a password databases or what?

    TFA says

    hackers gained access to Twitter's internal systems and stole information, compromising 250,000 accounts

    They then reference an advisory from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that users disable Java on their computers.

    Maybe Twitter should follow DHS?

    This sounds like half the story. And press accounts aren't much more informative. Seems everyone is playing this java angle
    pretty close to the vest.

    --
    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
    1. Re: Safari and Firefox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Workers' computers at Twitter were compromised by a java exploit. If they were running Safari it's either oooold or they were using Macs.

    2. Re:Safari and Firefox by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, reading tweets on a little phone screen. That's a step forward, yes it is.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
  2. Re:Does it mean... by mrbluze · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm having trouble following this. If I understand correctly, if I had Java disabled in my browser already, then my Twitter account is safe? It's really hard to tell from the article.

    If you don't have a twitter account, you're safe. This exploit was not related to what is on your browser, it was on Twitter's servers.

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    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  3. And... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    nothing of value was lost