Registrar's database said to have exposed data

Jeremy Kirk   Today’s Top Stories    or  Other Security Stories  

Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Avoiding the Latest Phishing Attacks Safeguarding Critical Data Intercept Spam & Viruses Seven Steps to Secure and Seamless Field Mobility Backup and Recovery for Microsoft Exchange Server Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts

April 07, 2006 (IDG News Service) -- A database problem with a U.S. domain name registrar exposed sensitive financial and personal information related to thousands of domain name registrations, a Dutch company said Friday.

New York-based DiscountDomainRegistry.com fixed the problem shortly after being notified yesterday, said Nico Vandendries, CEO of Strongwood, a private investigation company based in the Netherlands.

DiscountDomainRegistry.com CEO Alex Brecher said in an e-mail to the IDG News Service that the company is 100% positive customer data was not compromised. The "alleged vulnerability," he wrote, was patched within minutes after the company was contacted by Strongwood.

"We're in the midst of investigating these allegations, and we cannot provide detailed information at this time," Brecher wrote.

Erik Ekkelenkamp, a systems project engineer at Strongwood, was researching .eu domain names when he clicked a link within DiscountDomainRegistry's site. The link led to an error involving execution rights on a MySQL directory. MySQL is a widely used open-source database program.

A script plus other programming usually unseen was visible that allowed for a connection to the database, which contained credit card numbers, usernames, passwords and other information, Vandendries said.

A DiscountDomainRegistry.com official wasn't initially convinced there was a problem, Vandendries said.

"At first, they didn't believe us until we presented him with his own password," Vandendries said. "And then he knew we were in."

On its Web site, DiscountDomainRegistry.com, founded in 1998, says it registers domain names for $14.99 per year, including those of Fortune 500 companies.

So far, it's believed that no one has exploited the error, which may have existed for up to four months, Ekkelenkamp said. DiscountDomainRegistry.com had changed parts of its Web site recently, which may have resulted in the bug, he said.

The damage could have been severe, Vandendries said. The credit card data and personal information from DiscountDomainRegistry.com clients could have been sold, he said.

Further, access to usernames and passwords would have allowed an intruder to change the names and IP addresses associated with Web sites, a method used for so-called phishing scams, Vandendries said.

Phishing involves tricking users into visiting a Web site that appears legitimate but actually is a facade. The URL may look authentic but connects to an IP address with a bogus Web site. The fraudulent Web sites usually have forms for providing sensitive material, such as financial information, which is then directly sent to scammers.

Vandendries estimated it would take "little skill" with MySQL to exploit the bug. "If a bad guy found this leak and had access to the database ... then I'm sure it could have cost millions," he said.

Ekkelenkamp said he received a call last night from the owner of DiscountDomainRegistry.com, thanking him.

Reprinted with permission from

For more news from IDG visit IDG.net
Story copyright 2006 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

Analysis: Data breach notification law unlikely this year Idaho utility hard drives -- and data -- turn up on eBay Ohio University reports two separate security breaches

Aetna says laptop stolen with data on 38,000 members Ohio recalls voter registration CDs; Social Security numbers included FBI: No credit card data breach in N.H. state server case

"This company's infrastructure group is running a disaster recovery exercise with a reluctant participant: an IT manager who's notorious as..." Read more... "It's IT Blogwatch: in which Mozilla's Firefox Web browser continues to gain market share, smashing records as it does so...." Read more... Read more Security posts or See all Blogs

Microsoft promises four patches next week Google gives away home-cooked Web application security scanner Storm botnet stages Fourth of July attacks More top stories...

Microsoft trumpets security additions in upcoming IE8 Apple cuts price of high-end SSD MacBook Air by $500 Ultrathin showdown: Apple MacBook Air vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X300 vs. Toshiba Portege R500

This old laptop: Revitalizing an aging notebook on the cheap All it takes is a couple hours and about $125 to breathe new life into an old laptop. Here's how. Bill Gates moves on Is Microsoft's Golden Age over? What are Gates' most memorable quotes? Find out in Computerworld's complete coverage of the end of the Bill Gates era at Microsoft. Five things you should never tell your boss There are some things your CIO definitely doesn't want to hear. Also don't miss the flipside, Five things you should always tell your boss. Hands-On: Firefox 3 fixes what's broke and keeps what's right With its latest version, Mozilla's browser continues to raise the bar for what Web browsers should be. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland SecurityAsk a Premier 100 IT LeaderBlackBerry Legal BattleData Security BreachesElectronic VotingFirefoxH-1B VisasHP's Boardroom ScandalHandheld DevicesHurricane Katrina AftermathMicrosoft Legal IssuesMicrosoft's VistaOpen SourceRFID TechnologySCO's Linux FightSarbanes-Oxley ActSpamVoice Over IPWi-FiWindows Meta File VulnerabilityWindows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders2006 Salary Survey2007 Best Places to Work in IT2007 IT Forecast2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders40 Years of ComputerworldASPs, Take TwoBest Places to Work in IT 2003Best Places to Work in IT 2004Best Places to Work in IT 2005Best Places to Work in IT 2006Business Intelligence Home RunsBusiness Intelligence: Smarter BIBusiness Intelligence: The Future of BICRM Goes VerticalCRM: Sober CRMCareer Planning Guide 2005Careers: IT Profession 2010Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005Data Management: Mining for GemsData Management: Taming Data ChaosDevelopment: Hard-Workin' Web SitesDevelopment: New Tools New ChoicesDevelopment: The New World of Application DevelopmentDevelopment: The Web Services TsunamiDevelopment: Web Services HurdlesDisaster Recovery: Preparing for the WorstE-commerce Grows UpE-mail/Groupware: Big DecisionsFaces of Mobile ITForecast 2006Global MobileHardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple ChallengesHardware: On-Demand Un-HypedHardware: The Shape of Things to ComeHorizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge TechnologiesIT Management: Guide to Managing VendorsIT Management: Navigating Global ITIT Management: Recovery AheadIT Management: The Future of ITIT Management: The Resourceful Project ManagerInnovative Technology Awards 2004Management: Reinventing ITMicrosoft in TransitionMobile/Wireless Leaders and LaggardsMobile/Wireless: The Untethered WorkerMobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge CostsNetwork Management: Taking ControlNetworking: Turbulence Ahead!Networking: VoIP Goes MainstreamOperating Systems: In the Slow LaneOperating Systems: Linux Goes GlobalOperating Systems: Should You Nix Unix?Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's GuideOutsourcing: Outsourcing DangersPremier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in ClassPremier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in ClassROI: Do the Math!Salary Survey 2003Salary Survey 2004Salary Survey 2005Security Action PlanSecurity: Compliance HeadachesSecurity: Proactive SecuritySecurity: Risk and RewardSecurity: Tips From Security ProsSouped-up SecurityStorage: Battling ComplexityStorage: Cheap & Secure Data StoresStorage: Stretching Your Storage DollarsStorage: The Lean Storage MachineStorage: The New Rules of StorageStorage: The Ultimate Backup GuideSupply Chain: Missing LinksSupply Chain: RFID Reality CheckThe Business of SecurityWeb 2.0 SecurityWireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone Data Center Management Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone See your link here

Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Download this webcast, free, compilments of Webroot Software Go to the webcast  Computerworld Executive Bulletin: Building a Robust Antivirus Defense Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for free, compliments of MessageLabs. (Source: MessageLabs) Antivirus software alone isn't enough to prevent today's speedy, sophisticated virus attacks. Security managers should consider multitiered approaches that include behavior scanning, appliances that check e-mail for worms, and restricting user access to dangerous Web sites. Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for free, compliments of MessageLabs, to learn more. Download this executive briefing  Eliminate SPAM, Gain Productivity Get this white paper now! (Source: MessageLabs) Learn all about the dangers and the costs of spam in all its forms - from stock-touting to spreadsheet. Also, understand the drawbacks of traditional hardware- and software-based defenses - and the unique benefits of MessageLabs multi-layered, managed Anti-Spam solution; as illustrated by a real-world case study where MessageLabs stopped spam cold. Download this white paper  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Deploying Virtualized NetWare on Linux Whitepaper Toward More Flexible, Next-Generation Collaboration Solutions Driving Business Success Through Workgroup Choice and Flexibility View more whitepapers

• Analysis: Data breach notification law unlikely this year
• Idaho utility hard drives -- and data -- turn up on eBay
• Ohio University reports two separate security breaches
• Aetna says laptop stolen with data on 38,000 members
• Ohio recalls voter registration CDs; Social Security numbers included
• FBI: No credit card data breach in N.H. state server case

• Microsoft promises four patches next week
• Google gives away home-cooked Web application security scanner
• Storm botnet stages Fourth of July attacks
• More top stories 

Security Management Zone Security management is the process of developing a comprehensive data protection plan. It takes into account all potential threats, the existing network environment, the future needs of the organization, and lays out a multi-tiered blueprint to integrate the security technology needed to combat these threats. CDW can help keep your network and data secure. Visit the CDW Security Management Zone now See All Zones

Fired up about IT? Join Sharkbait and share your true tales of IT. SharkBait is the place for you to sound off about everything IT – the good, the bad, and the rest of the weird stuff you deal with every day. New baits

"Security Directions" virtual trade show 2008's Code-Red Security Issues for Protecting the Enterprise Webcasts, white papers, demos, and more. Presented in a unique 3-d environment. Enter our show right now! Click here to enter

In Security Security's important, and risk must be addressed, right? Sure, but watch for four signs your policies go a bit overboard. Click here to read the latest column by Jon Espenschied