Ashley Madison Breach Returns with Extortion Campaign

The recent attack messages use new techniques to extort Bitcoin payments from Ashley Madison users hit in massive 2015 data breach.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

February 1, 2020

1 Min Read
Dark Reading logo in a gray background | Dark Reading

Five years after a huge data breach at extramarital affair website Ashley Madison gave criminals access to the credentials of roughly 32 million users, some victims are being hit once again, this time with a highly personalized extortion attempt.

The extortion message includes detailed personal and financial information on the victim and demands a Bitcoin payment (the equivalent of $1,000 on up) to ensure that incriminating details won't be shared with friends, family, and employers. The message includes two factors that are becoming more popular in criminal attacks: Details of the ransom payment are in an encrypted .PDF file attached to the email, and the .PDF includes a QR code at the top as a way to access payment information.

Both of these newer details are attempts to evade email filters that increasingly target criminal attack content. According to researchers at Vade Secure, which published a blog post on the new attack, the form of the attack is similar to other messages in a wave of "sextortion" attacks that have been ongoing since July 2018.

For more, read here.

Edgepromohorizontal.jpgCheck out The Edge, Dark Reading's new section for features, threat data, and in-depth perspectives. Today's top story: "7 Steps to IoT Security in 2020."

About the Author

Dark Reading Staff

Dark Reading

Dark Reading is a leading cybersecurity media site.

Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights