Hackers put user info ‘cheating’ site online

Attackers hacked into dating website Ashley Madison, which aims to help users cheat, and may have obtained all user data. This would include financial data, employee data, names, addresses and nude photos.

Krebs on Security writes that the hack is the work of Impact Team, according to a message left by the attackers. Ashley Madison has about 37 million users, mainly in the US and Canada. In addition to data from Ashley Madison, the attackers also obtained data from sister websites such as Established Men and Cougar Life, as well as data from employees of the Canadian operator of the websites, Avid Life Media.

What has now emerged online is a small fraction of user data from Ashley Madison and data from Avid Media Life. Impact Team stated in a statement that the reason for the hack is that the company is cheating users with Ashley Madison’s Full Delete function. It costs 19 dollars and for that money all data of a user would be deleted. However, it would appear from the stolen data that Avid Media Life does not delete all data, while it has generated a turnover of 1.7 million dollars with the function.

“Avid Media Life has been ordered to take Ashley Madison and Established Men offline,” the attackers said in a message they left. “Otherwise, we will publish all customer data, including profiles complete with sexual fantasies, credit card information, real names and addresses, and all Avid Life Media data. The rest of the websites may remain online.”

Avid Life Media president Noel Biderman said the company is “working hard to take Avid Life Media’s intellectual property offline.” Plus, he has a theory about who might be behind the hack. “It certainly wasn’t an ALM employee, but someone who has been in close contact with our company. I have his profile right here in front of me now.” According to Biderman, that would also be the reason why Impact Team is putting so much pressure on ALM. It is not yet known whether the Canadian company will meet the requirements of Impact Team.

Part of Impact Team’s statement, published by Krebs on Security