Pro-Palestinian hacktivist group claims responsibility for major cyber attack on internet archive
New Delhi: A pro-Palestinian hacktivist group, "SN_BlackMeta," has claimed responsibility for a significant cyberattack on the Internet Archive, resulting in the exposure of personal data for 31 million users. The breach compromised email addresses, usernames, and encrypted passwords, raising serious concerns about the security and data privacy of the digital library, widely known for its Wayback Machine.
The attack, discovered on October 9, exploited a vulnerability in a JavaScript (JS) library on the Internet Archive's website. A pop-up message appeared, notifying users of the breach, stating, "Have you ever felt like the Internet Archive runs on sticks and is constantly on the verge of suffering a catastrophic security breach? It just happened. See 31 million of you on HIBP!" The message referred to the service "Have I Been Pwned?" (HIBP), which helps users check if their data has been compromised.
Cybersecurity experts confirmed that the 6.4 GB database, shared by the attackers, contained email addresses, usernames, and passwords for millions of users. Troy Hunt, founder of HIBP, stated that over half of the compromised email addresses had already appeared in previous data breaches.
Brewster Kahle, the founder of the Internet Archive, acknowledged the breach and ongoing Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks that disrupted the platform. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kahle explained the steps taken, including disabling the compromised JS library and upgrading security protocols. He noted, "DDOS attack fended off for now; defacement of our website via JS library; breach of usernames/email/salted-encrypted passwords. We are scrubbing systems and enhancing security."
Despite efforts to restore service, the Internet Archive's website, including its popular Wayback Machine, has experienced intermittent outages. The organisation continues to address the fallout from the attack while reinforcing its systems.
The hacker group "SN_BlackMeta," linked to previous cyberattacks on Middle Eastern financial institutions, took credit for both the data breach and the DDoS attacks. In an X post, the group claimed their attack was motivated by pro-Palestinian sentiments, alleging that the Internet Archive, though not a U.S. government entity, is tied to American support for Israel. However, a community note on the post clarified that the Internet Archive is a nonprofit organisation that hosts extensive resources on Palestine.
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Bawankule slams Karnataka's Cong govt for plan to remove Savarkar portrait; seeks Uddhav's response
Mumbai, Dec 9: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday slammed the Congress government in neighbouring Karnataka for deciding to remove the portrait of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar from the Legislative Assembly there.
History will never forgive those who insult the legacy of Savarkar, who had endured immense suffering for the country's independence, Bawankule asserted.
"The decision of the Congress-led government in Karnataka to remove the portrait of Savarkar is highly condemnable and an insult of country's freedom movement," he said on social media platform X.
This was the Congress' attempt to undermine the sacrifices, pain and ideology of Savarkar.
"It directly insults his legacy and the ideals he stood for," Bawankule said, and asked if Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray would remain silent or speak up over this act of his party's ally.
Thackeray, who has abandoned Hindutva for political gain, has shown disregard for Savarkar's ideals by aligning with the Congress, he claimed.
This is why Thackeray's party is being called "Tipu Sena", Bawankule said.
Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century ruler of Mysuru, who lost his life in a battle against the British in 1799, is a polarising figure who is hailed as a fearless freedom fighter by his supporters, while his detractors condemn him as a zealot who persecuted Hindus.
"Those who insult Savarkar and his legacy, like the Congress and their allies, will never be forgiven by history," Bawankule said.
