Wednesday, May 7, 2025
HomeCyber Security NewsHacker Leaks 33,000 Employee Records in Third-Party API Breach

Hacker Leaks 33,000 Employee Records in Third-Party API Breach

Published on

SIEM as a Service

Follow Us on Google News

A hacker has exposed the personal records of over 33,000 employees after discovering unrestricted endpoints belonging to a major technology service provider.

The breach, first reported by cybersecurity platform CloudSEK’s BeVigil, highlights alarming gaps in API security that could have far-reaching consequences for both the affected organization and its clients.

CloudSEK’s BeVigil, a platform specializing in continuous security monitoring, identified several misconfigured API endpoints tied to the service provider’s internal web application.

- Advertisement - Google News
BeVigil Main Dashboard - Security Score
BeVigil Main Dashboard – Security Score

Unlike securely designed APIs, these endpoints required no authentication, allowing anyone on the internet to access and download sensitive data with a simple HTTP request.

The leaked information includes:

  • Employee Personal Data: Names, corporate email addresses, and department details.
  • Asset Configurations: Information on hardware, software, and provisioned devices.
  • Project Structures: Internal workgroup assignments and ongoing project details.

“This was essentially a door left wide open for attackers,” said a BeVigil spokesperson. “Anyone could have walked in and taken what they pleased.”

POC of Unauthenticated access to one api endpoint
POC of Unauthenticated access to one api endpoint

The risks posed by this breach go far beyond the initial exposure of employee records. According to security experts, attackers could exploit the data for:

  • Social Engineering Campaigns: Using employee names and departments to craft convincing phishing emails or impersonate internal IT personnel, potentially extracting credentials or spreading malware within the organization.
  • Mapping Organizational Structure: Identifying key personnel, tracking movements across business units, and mapping internal project teams—information invaluable to cybercriminals plotting future attacks.
  • Surveillance and Espionage: Since the API data was updated in real-time, it enabled continuous monitoring of infrastructure changes and employee activities, increasing the risk of further breaches.
Api Endpoints Identified on the Web Application
Api Endpoints Identified on the Web Application

Urgent Steps for Organizations

The exposed provider has since moved to contain the breach, but security analysts warn that the incident illustrates a systemic problem. Key recommendations include:

  • Restrict All API Access: Enforce strict authentication and authorization on every endpoint.
  • Encrypt Sensitive Data: Ensure that all personally identifiable information (PII) is encrypted before transmission.
  • Real-Time Monitoring: Deploy automated tools to detect unauthorized API access.
  • Credential Rotation: Change all potentially compromised API keys and user credentials immediately.

This incident serves as a sobering lesson for organizations relying on third-party platforms. “APIs are the backbone of modern digital services, but if left unprotected, they can also be a company’s greatest liability,” CloudSEK’s spokesperson added.

As data security continues to be one of the most pressing challenges for modern enterprises, experts urge organizations to adopt robust API security measures—before a minor oversight leads to a catastrophic breach.

Find this News Interesting! Follow us on Google NewsLinkedIn, & X to Get Instant Updates!

Divya
Divya
Divya is a Senior Journalist at GBhackers covering Cyber Attacks, Threats, Breaches, Vulnerabilities and other happenings in the cyber world.

Latest articles

BFDOOR Malware Targets Organizations to Establish Long-Term Persistence

The BPFDoor malware has emerged as a significant threat targeting domestic and international organizations,...

Uncovering the Security Risks of Data Exposure in AI-Powered Tools like Snowflake’s CORTEX

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the technological landscape, tools like Snowflake’s CORTEX Search...

UNC3944 Hackers Shift from SIM Swapping to Ransomware and Data Extortion

UNC3944, a financially-motivated threat actor also linked to the group known as Scattered Spider,...

Over 2,800 Hacked Websites Targeting MacOS Users with AMOS Stealer Malware

Cybersecurity researcher has uncovered a massive malware campaign targeting MacOS users through approximately 2,800...

Resilience at Scale

Why Application Security is Non-Negotiable

The resilience of your digital infrastructure directly impacts your ability to scale. And yet, application security remains a critical weak link for most organizations.

Application Security is no longer just a defensive play—it’s the cornerstone of cyber resilience and sustainable growth. In this webinar, Karthik Krishnamoorthy (CTO of Indusface) and Phani Deepak Akella (VP of Marketing – Indusface), will share how AI-powered application security can help organizations build resilience by

Discussion points


Protecting at internet scale using AI and behavioral-based DDoS & bot mitigation.
Autonomously discovering external assets and remediating vulnerabilities within 72 hours, enabling secure, confident scaling.
Ensuring 100% application availability through platforms architected for failure resilience.
Eliminating silos with real-time correlation between attack surface and active threats for rapid, accurate mitigation

More like this

BFDOOR Malware Targets Organizations to Establish Long-Term Persistence

The BPFDoor malware has emerged as a significant threat targeting domestic and international organizations,...

Uncovering the Security Risks of Data Exposure in AI-Powered Tools like Snowflake’s CORTEX

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the technological landscape, tools like Snowflake’s CORTEX Search...

UNC3944 Hackers Shift from SIM Swapping to Ransomware and Data Extortion

UNC3944, a financially-motivated threat actor also linked to the group known as Scattered Spider,...