Acer’s after-sales service systems hacked, data affecting millions of customers stolen

Acer has confirmed a cyber attack on its servers in India through which hackers were able to steal around 60GB of data from the company. The data includes information on the company’s clients, retailers and finances. (Image: Reuters)HIGHLIGHTSAcer has been targeted by hackers for the second time this year.The company’s after-sales service systems were breached this time.Hackers allegedly stole data affecting millions of Acer customers in India.Acer was recently hit with a cyber attack that targeted its after-sales service systems in India. The hackers were allegedly able to steal data from the company’s servers that included information on its clients and its finances. The login details of Acer retailers and distributors in India were also compromised.

The company has confirmed that the attack took place, claiming it to be “an isolated attack” on its systems. In a statement to Bleeping Computers, it mentioned that it initiated the security protocols and conducted a full scan of its systems as soon as the attack was identified. The company also reported the attack to local law enforcement and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team.In the statement, Acer assures that the attack has “no material impact” to its business operations whatsoever. It says that it has informed the potentially affected customers of it, but does not reveal much about the attack itself, including the identity of the hackers.However, the threat actor responsible for the cyber attack has already claimed it on a hacker forum. As per a post on a forum on Wednesday, the attack was conducted by hacker group named Desorden, who managed to steal over 60GB of files and databases from Acer’s servers in India.As proof of their loot, the hackers also posted a video on the forum that shows the stolen data. The data includes records of 10,000 customers as well as stolen credentials for 3,000 Acer distributors and retailers in India. The hackers allege that the stolen data affects millions of Acer customers in India. They did not reveal the vulnerability they exploited for stealing the data.This isn’t the first time that Acer has experienced a cyber attack on its servers this year. Back in March, the company was hit by REvil ransomware attack, wherein the hackers managed to steal the company’s financial spreadsheets, bank communications, and bank balances. The hackers were able to steal data from Acer’s network using a Microsoft Exchange vulnerability.After sharing proof of the stolen data on a hacker forum, the attackers demanded a whopping $50 million to return the stolen data at the time. Acer never confirmed if it paid the ransom or not.Click here for our site’s complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.