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  • https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/02/owasp_discloses_data_breach/

OWASP discloses breach due to a Wiki web server misconfig

The Register
·
Jessica Lyons
·
Published Apr 2, 2024
·
Updated

A misconfigured MediaWiki web server allowed digital snoops to access members' resumes containing their personal details at the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Foundation. According to the nonprofit, which works to improve web app security, it became aware of the misconfig and subsequent data breach in late February after receiving "a few" report requests. "If you were an OWASP member from 2006 to around 2014 and provided your resume as part of joining OWASP, we advise assuming your resume was part of this breach," OWASP said in a Good Friday notification posted on its website. "We recognize the significance of this breach, especially considering the OWASP Foundation's emphasis on cybersecurity," it added. The resumes contained names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, "and other personally identifiable information," presumably people's places of employment, we're told. While the good news is that these resumes are at least a decade old in most cases, that's still a lot of individuals' details — OWASP boasts "tens of thousands of members" across more than 250 chapters worldwide. Presumably, at least some of these people still have the same identifiers that they did back in 2014, which can now be used for identity fraud and other nefarious purposes if they end up in the wrong hands or in a dark web database dump. If you have the same email address or phone number, for example, OWASP urges caution when answering or receiving unsolicited emails and...

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Affected Software

1 affected component
MediaWiki MediaWiki

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the main topic of this article?

The article discusses a data breach at the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) due to a misconfigured MediaWiki web server.

2

What security implications are discussed?

The breach allowed unauthorized access to personal details of OWASP members, raising concerns about data privacy and exposure.

3

What specific software was implicated in the breach?

The affected software involved in the breach was the MediaWiki web server.

4

What type of personal information was accessed during the breach?

The breach resulted in unauthorized access to members' resumes containing sensitive personal details.

5

How did the breach occur at OWASP?

The breach occurred due to a misconfiguration of the MediaWiki web server, which allowed digital snoops to access confidential information.

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