First million breached Ticketmaster records released for free

The cybercriminal acting under the name “Sp1d3r” gave away the first 1 million records that are part of the data set that they claimed to have stolen from Ticketmaster/Live Nation. The files were released without a price, for free.

When Malwarebytes Labs first learned about this data breach, it happened to be the first major event that was shared on the resurrected BreachForums, and someone acting under the handle “ShinyHunters” offered the full details (name, address, email, phone) of 560 million customers for sale.

The same data set was offered for sale in an almost identical post on another forum by someone using the handle “SpidermanData.” This could be the same person or a member of the ShinyHunters group.

Following this event, Malwarebytes Labs advised readers on how to respond and stay safe. Importantly, even when a breach isn’t a “breach”—in that immediate moment when the details have yet to be confirmed and a breach subject is readying its public statements—the very news of the suspected breach can be used by advantageous cybercriminals as a phishing lure.

Later, Ticketmaster confirmed the data breach.

Bleeping Computer spoke to ShinyHunters who said they already had interested buyers. Now, Sp1d3r, who was seen posting earlier about Advance Auto Parts customer data and Truist Bank data, has released 1 million Ticketmaster related data records for free.

Post by Sp1d3r

In a post on BreachForums, Sp1d3r said:

“Ticketmaster will not respond to request to buy data from us.

They care not for the privacy of 680 million customers, so give you the first 1 million users free.”

The cybercriminals that are active on those forums will jump at the occasion and undoubtedly try to monetize those records. This likely means that innocent users that are included in the first million released records could receive a heavy volume of spam and phishing emails in the coming days.

Protecting yourself after a data breach

There are some actions you can take if you are, or suspect you may have been, the victim of a data breach.

• Check the vendor’s advice. Every breach is different, so check with the vendor to find out what’s happened and follow any specific advice they offer.
• Change your password. You can make a stolen password useless to thieves by changing it. Choose a strong password that you don’t use for anything else. Better yet, let a password manager choose one for you.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). If you can, use a FIDO2-compliant hardware key, laptop or phone as your second factor. Some forms of two-factor authentication (2FA) can be phished just as easily as a password. 2FA that relies on a FIDO2 device can’t be phished.
• Watch out for fake vendors. The thieves may contact you posing as the vendor. Check the vendor website to see if they are contacting victims, and verify the identity of anyone who contacts you using a different communication channel.
• Take your time. Phishing attacks often impersonate people or brands you know, and use themes that require urgent attention, such as missed deliveries, account suspensions, and security alerts.
• Consider not storing your card details. It’s definitely more convenient to get sites to remember your card details for you, but we highly recommend not storing that information on websites.
• Set up identity monitoring. Identity monitoring alerts you if your personal information is found being traded illegally online, and helps you recover after.

Check your exposure

While matters are still unclear how much information was involved, it’s likely you’ve had other personal information exposed online in previous data breaches. You can check what personal information of yours has been exposed with our Digital Footprint portal. Just enter your email address (it’s best to submit the one you most frequently use) to our free Digital Footprint scan and we’ll give you a report.

We don’t just report on threats – we help safeguard your entire digital identity

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Protect your—and your family’s—personal information by using identity protection.