DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Zee5 Data Breach: PII of 9 Million Zee5 Users’ Allegedly Leaked Online (updated with denial)

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Dissent

Manikanta Immanni reports:

Zee5, an Indian OTT platform with over 150 million users had a part of its userbase’s data leaked again. Found by Rajshekhar Rajaharia, an internet security researcher, over 9 million users of Zee5 allegedly leaked online earlier this week. This is the second time Zee5 in news for a data breach, with the first one happened in the mid-last year.

It’s quite certain that hackers are targeting OTT platforms lately since they’re growing rapidly amid lockdowns.

Read more on TechDator.

Update of March 5:  On March 1, DataBreaches.net received an email from “[email protected].” It was cc:d to “[email protected],” “[email protected],” and “[email protected].” The TL;DR version is that they wanted this site to remove the above post, “failing which our client will be forced to initiate action.”

They probably had not read the “About” page of this site. In any event, DataBreaches.net declined to remove the post, but offered to update it or correct it if Zee5 sent a statement that explained the incident and/or what they found in the investigation their Twitter team had mentioned on February 27.  They did not respond to this site’s inquiry.

Today, Business Insider reports:

Days after an independent Internet Security Researcher, Rajshekhar Rajaharia tweeted about an alleged data breach at over-the-top (OTT) platform Zee5’s, a top executive has denied the claim.

“The security of our consumer’s personal data and information is top priority for us. After we came across this information, we have done a full audit again. Our systems are not showing any such breach,” said Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India.

Read more on Business Insider.

Zee5 does not seem to explain how what appears to be real data — names and email addresses — wound up in the data that was provided by the unnamed hacker who gave data to Rajshekhar Rajaharia. Do any of their databases have the structure and fields that would be consistent with the data sample provided to the researcher by the alleged hacker or was there no correspondence at all?

Because Aiplex did not respond to this site’s inquiry of March 1, DataBreaches.net sent emails to a sample of those in the data sample provided by the hacker (a copy was made available to this site). While no one responded to confirm that they were customers and their data was valid, not one of the emails bounced back as unknown user.  And then, too, Rajaharia, who states he has worked with the government and law enforcement in the past, claims that as a customer, his data was in there, too.

Like a French security researcher who calls himself “@fs0c131y” (Robert Baptiste) on Twitter, Rajaharia appears to be a thorn in the side of Indian firms, calling out their security vulnerabilities and leaks publicly if they do not respond to his attempts at responsible disclosure. Threatening researchers to try to chill their disclosures may work in some cases, but is unlikely to work with researchers like Baptiste or Rajaharia.

So who conducted the “full audit” for Zee5? Was it its own employees, who might be motivated to cover up any breach if it involved an error on their part? Was it an external firm known to be experts?  It would be nice to know more — including more about the anonymous hacker/source, who may have a financial motivation to provide bad publicity for firms. And what will that hacker do now? Will they dump more data that they claim comes from Zee5?

DataBreaches.net will continue to follow the alleged breach which has now been formally denied.

Category: Breach Incidents

Post navigation

← NL: Secondary school in Lochem pays ransom after cyber attack criminals
T-Mobile discloses data breach after SIM swapping attacks →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Data breach of patient info ends in firing of Miami hospital employee
  • Texas DOT investigates breach of crash report records, sends notification letters
  • PowerSchool hacker pleads guilty, released on personal recognizance bond
  • Rewards for Justice offers $10M reward for info on RedLine developer or RedLine’s use by foreign governments
  • New evidence links long-running hacking group to Indian government
  • Zaporizhzhia Cyber ​​Police Exposes Hacker Who Caused Millions in Losses to Victims by Mining Cryptocurrency
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Google: Hackers target Salesforce accounts in data extortion attacks
  • The US Grid Attack Looming on the Horizon
  • US govt login portal could be one cyberattack away from collapse, say auditors

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • California county accused of using drones to spy on residents
  • How the FBI Sought a Warrant to Search Instagram of Columbia Student Protesters
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Malaysia enacts data sharing rules for public sector
  • U.S. Enacts Take It Down Act
  • 23andMe Bankruptcy Judge Ponders Trump Bill’s Injunction Impact
  • Hell No: The ODNI Wants to Make it Easier for the Government to Buy Your Data Without Warrant

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.