Billions of data records relating to Chinese citizens leaked online, including WeChat and Alipay details
'Billions upon billions' of data records belonging to hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens have been briefly exposed online, according to cybersecurity researchers.
The 631 gigabyte haul of information – including WeChat and Alipay details – may be part of a surveillance effort targeting Chinese citizens, according to the research team at tech media outlet Cybernews and Bob Diachenko, owner and founder of cybersecurity consulting firm Security Discovery.
'The Cybernews research team believes the dataset was meticulously gathered and maintained for building comprehensive behavioral, economic, and social profiles of nearly any Chinese citizen,' the media outlet said last week. 'The sheer volume and diversity of data types in this leak [suggest] that this was likely a centralized aggregation point.'
They added that the data could potentially be exploited for anything from 'large-scale phishing, blackmail, and fraud to state-sponsored intelligence gathering and disinformation campaigns.'
The team were only able to glimpse 16 datasets before the database was removed, preventing them from understanding the identity of those behind it.
'However, collecting and maintaining this sort of database requires time and effort, often linked to threat actors, governments, or very motivated researchers,' they said.
Aside from WeChat and Alipay records, residential data with geographic identifiers was included, along with apparent banking data such as payment card numbers, dates of birth, names, and phone numbers.
Together, the datasets could allow attackers to triangulate users' places of residence, spending habits, debts, and savings.
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