Minecraft Hackers Publish Tons Of Of Nonpublic Login Particulars Online
Microsoft was in the news during the Christmas season when its Xbox One service was infiltrated by hackers, and it is now facing a similar problem.
Reports on a German website claim that the list of 1,800 Microsoft-owned Minecraft usernames and passwords has been published online.
If they have access to these information Security experts warn that criminals can gain access to accounts, alter settings, and purchase virtual items.
The hack was reported by Heise Online, and many of the verified accounts (selection depicted) are believed to belong to German gamers. While it's not entirely certain how the hackers gained the credentials, security analyst Graham Cluely stated that there are a myriad of possibilities. This includes malware and phishing attacks as well as security breaches.
Heise Online reported the hack and a large portion of the verified accounts are believed be belonging to German gamers.
It's not clear how the hackers gained access on the credentials, however security analyst Graham Cluely wrote on the Hot for Security blog: The possibilities range from simple phishing attack to keylogging malware stealing players' information as they sign into the game, or even a security breach in Minecraft itself.
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"Let's hope that it's not last one, because the game has more than 100 million registered players.
MailOnline was informed by an Microsoft spokesperson that they were able to confirm that there was no Mojang.net services were compromised.
"Normal industry procedures were established to handle situations like this. They were used to reset passwords for a tiny number of affected accounts.
Minecraft was created in 2009.
A player is placed in the "virtually infinite" game world at the start of the game.
Players are provided with blocks and tools for building towns and cities.
The game was initially made for the PC but there are now Xbox 360 and mobile versions available.'
The hack is quite small due to the huge number of registered users.
However, as Mr. Cluely said: 'If unauthorised users exploited the passwords and email addresses, they could not only access other players' gameworlds, but also download the full version of the game, which is usually sold for EUR19.95 Euros ($26.95 or PS17.95).'
Cybercriminals can also get access to an individual's email address to hack other accounts, send malware, or even send spam.
Cluely also said that there's no assurance that the hacker who is responsible for this list doesn't have more cash. 1 Site
Microsoft purchased Mojang in September in a deal believed to be worth $2.5 billion (PS1.5 billion).
The game is available on PCs as well as Androids, iOS, Windows Phone and Windows Phone. It also works on consoles such as the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
However the Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to MailOnline that there was no evidence that the Mojang.net service was compromised. While the amount of information revealed is not that big when compared to the game's 100,000,000,000 users and players, Mr Cluely said that there's no guarantee that the hacker that released the current list didn't have more information 'in their back pocket'.
A character is placed into the virtual world of infinite space at the beginning of the game. They then have the option of exploring different terrains, including mountains, forests and caves.
The game has become a worldwide phenomenon, with more than 16645,000 people having purchased it.
There are even YouTube channels that teach people how to play the game, and in same cases make owners enough money from advertising to quit their job.
