Subj : Popular online bill paying site leaks data of thousands of users
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Thu Jan 16 2025 18:00:05

Popular online bill paying site leaks data of thousands of users

Date:
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 17:45:00 +0000

Description:
The database is now locked down, but users still still be on their guard.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Security
 researcher finds large unsecured online database belonging to Willow Pays 
The database contained plenty of sensitive customer information It is now 
locked down, but users should still be cautious 

Bill payment platform Willow Pays kept a huge database full of sensitive 
customer information unprotected online available to anyone who knew where to 
look, an expert has claimed. 

Researcher Jeremiah Fowler, known for hunting down misconfigured and 
non-password-protected databases on the internet, revealed he recently 
discovered a database containing more than 240,000 records. 

There were folders inside the database indicating bills, mailing lists, 
account inconsistencies, repayment schedules, screenshots, settings, and 
snapshots, he said. In a limited sampling of the exposed documents, I saw 
records that included names, email addresses, credit limits, and other 
internal information. One single spreadsheet document contained the details 
of 56,864 individuals, indicating if they were prospects, active customers, 
or blocked accounts. Missing details 

Soon after, Fowler was able to attribute the database to Willow Pays, a 
financial service which helps users manage their bills by paying them 
upfront. The service allows users to repay the amount in four interest-free 
installments, making it easier to handle expenses. This service also supports 
building credit by ensuring timely repayments. 

Fowler reached out to Willow Pays, which locked down the database soon after. 
However, the company did not reply to his emails, and did not say if it 
manages the database in-house, or if the job was outsourced to a third-party. 
Furthermore, we dont know for how long the database remained unlocked, or if 
any malicious actors accessed it before Fowler did. 

Misconfigured databases remain one of the most common causes of data leaks 
and spills on the internet. Many security researchers are warning that 
companies do not properly understand the shared security model of most cloud 
service providers these days, and that they mistakenly place too much trust 
on them, instead of protecting their assets themselves. 

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======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/popular-online-bill-paying-site-leaks-d
ata-of-thousands-of-users


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