Hacker Group Threatens to Leak 80GB of Confidential Reddit Data Over API Changes
Popular online platform Reddit has been under scrutiny lately due to its API rule changes, which have negatively impacted several third-party apps. As a result, some major apps have announced shutdowns and numerous subreddits have gone dark in protest. Now, a hacker group known as ALPHV has threatened to leak around 80GB of confidential Reddit data unless the company reverts the API changes and pays a hefty ransom.
ALPHV, a group infamous for the BlackCat ransomware, claimed responsibility for a massive Reddit breach that the company admitted to in February this year. This group also made headlines for targeting Western Digital and Amazon's surveillance hardware brand, Ring, in March. According to BleepingComputer, ALPHV claims to have stolen around 80GB of compressed data from Reddit systems during the attack and is now threatening to leak it.
The hackers' demands are simple: Reddit must roll back the API changes and pay a ransom of $4.5 million. In posts on the dark web, ALPHV states that it contacted Reddit on April 13 and again on June 16 but received no response. They also mocked Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, known as /u/spez. Unlike typical ransomware attacks, Reddit's systems remain fully operational, as the hackers did not lock them out.
The potential data leak poses a significant threat to Reddit and its users, as the confidential information could reveal sensitive user data, internal communications, and other critical information. The company must now decide whether to comply with the hackers' demands and risk setting a dangerous precedent or take the chance that the group will release the stolen data. Either way, the situation highlights the ongoing issue of cybersecurity and the risks posed by ransomware attacks.
