Internet Archive Was Exposing User Email Addresses for Years Before Recent Breach
Internet Archive Was Exposing User Email Addresses for Years Before Recent Breach
A recent data breach is not the only way that Internet Archive users have been left vulnerable online.
Someone feel free to jump in and audit my take:
The Internet Archive is not a company, does not sell me anything, and is merely providing a public service.
The service has nothing to do with my health or wellbeing. It is not marketed as being privacy forward. Hell, the whole purpose of the project is to make data publically accessable.
Therefore, exposing email addresses... I kinda don't care?
Of course, it would be way better if they just used generic login numbers etc instead, but... I feel like this is the equivalent of my library card number getting leaked, and these headlines are treating it like Equifax just leaked my SSN again.
42Exactly. I was surprised to see my unique named throw-away email being found in the leak, despite having changed it to an uniquely generated throw-away account alias in the year prior. But i don't mind that much.
However, bad security practices must still be pointed out regardless of it being applied to something important or large. I do still can criticize my friend decision to expose his local server at home, unsecured, even if in the grand matter of things, it is unlikely it will be exploited or impact him in any way.
Now, the only issue having my throw-away address, is that i will have to throw it away once i start receiving spam on it. As far i know, the pirated database wasn't shared nor necessarily conserved outside of prooving the original
clownshacktivists group involvment, outside of confirmed security analyst.4This article isnt about how emails associated with logins got released in a breach, but that documents that are uploaded to the archive are stamped with the email address of the account that uploaded it and that can be viewed by anyone who downloads the document.
So in standard, everyday use of the site, email addresses are being revealed and are associated with the actions of that person. Like if I upload a copy of the manual for my washing machine or something, which is a more benign example, my email is linked to that document now.
Then combine this with (1) the internet archive says in multiple spots that they dont reveal this info anywhere, and (2) the issue has been raised to the organization, and it becomes more of a specific negligence from them.
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Oh no, won't someone think of the email addresses?!
Guys. IP addresses, and email addresses...aren't really private things.
26Sure, but your registration of it with a website is generally expected to be.
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This article isnt about how emails associated with logins got released in a breach, but that documents that are uploaded to the archive are stamped with the email address of the account that uploaded it and that can be viewed by anyone who downloads the document.
So in standard, everyday use of the site, email addresses are being revealed and are associated with the actions of that person. Like if I upload a copy of the manual for my washing machine or something, which is a more benign example, my email is linked to that document now.
Then combine this with (1) the internet archive says in multiple spots that they dont reveal this info anywhere, and (2) the issue has been raised to the organization, and it becomes more of a specific negligence from them.
3good thing I used throwaway emails to upload
4The guy in the thumbnail looks like Steve Jobs.
1You mean Brewster Kahle? Maybe a little?
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