New Delhi:
A cybercrime group demanded ransom after gaining unrestricted access to the entire databases of e-commerce platform Paytm Mall, online intelligence firm Cyble said on Sunday.
An insider is suspected to have helped the hacking group gain access to the database.
The group with the alias "John Wick" was able to upload a backdoor/Adminer on Paytm Mall application/website, said the report.
The group was able to gain access to Paytm Mall’s database through a backdoor, it said. However the volume of the data breach was not specified.
The perpetrator of the breach has demanded 10 ETH (Ethereum) in cryptocurrency, according to Cyble. This is approximately equivalent to $4,000 according to data based on crypto currency exchange, Coinbase.
It appears the breach affects all accounts and related information at Paytm mall, it added.
"Our sources also forwarded us the messages where the perpetrator also claimed they are receiving the ransom payment from the Paytm mall as well," Cyble said, adding that it could not confirm if the ransom was actually paid.Leaking data when failing to meet hackers demands is a known technique deployed by various cybercrime groups, including ransomware operators, the online intelligence firm said.
“According to the messages forwarded to us by our source, the perpetrator claimed the hack happened due to an insider at Paytm Mall. The claims, however, are unverified, but possible. Our sources also forwarded us the messages where the perpetrator also claimed they are receiving the ransom payment from the Paytm mall as well. Leaking data when failing to meet hackers demands is a known technique deployed by various cybercrime groups, including ransomware operators. At this stage, we are unaware that the ransom was paid,” Cyble stated in an official update.
The perpetrator claimed the hack happened due to an insider at Paytm Mall.
The claims, however, are unverified.In 2019, the company faced a fraud allegedly caused due to their junior employees.
Paytm said that it did not find any evidence of data breach, during investigation
Paytm Mall spokesperson said, "We would like to assure that all user, as well as company data, is completely safe and secure. We have noted and investigated the claims of a possible hack and data breach, and these are absolutely false. We invest heavily in our data security, as you would expect. We also have a Bug Bounty program, under which we reward responsible disclosure of any security risks. We extensively work with the security research community and safely resolve security anomalies."