A ransomware group has recently taken responsibility for the breach of Reddit’s systems earlier this year, alongside issuing demands for both monetary compensation and alterations to the platform’s policies.
BlackCat, the identified ransomware group, has claimed responsibility for the phishing attack that occurred in February, as previously reported by Bleeping Computer. In a post shared by researcher Dominic Alvieri, BlackCat disclosed its successful acquisition of 80GB of data from Reddit and issued a warning to publicly release it if their demands are not met.
The group is demanding a ransom of $4.5 million in exchange for the stolen data, while also insisting that Reddit revert its planned API pricing changes that recently sparked protests from users and moderators.
We had a security incident. Here’s what we know.
by u/KeyserSosa in reddit
During the time of the breach, Reddit acknowledged that the hackers employed a “sophisticated and highly-targeted” phishing attack to gain access to internal documents and data, including contact information of employees and advertisers. However, Reddit maintained that user data, which was not already public, remained secure and unaffected.
The Reddit Files.@Reddit https://t.co/cIUyCWwMlP pic.twitter.com/gyHA7lplvG
— Dominic Alvieri (@AlvieriD) June 17, 2023
Reddit has chosen not to provide an official comment regarding the incident. Bleeping Computer has confirmed that the BlackCat hack aligns with the security breach disclosed by Reddit in February.
The recent demands made by BlackCat regarding API pricing changes coincide with a contentious dispute between Reddit’s leadership and a substantial portion of its active user base. Following Reddit’s announcement of potential charges for developers of third-party apps, amounting to potentially millions of dollars annually, several prominent subreddits protested by limiting new posts and restricting public access.
In an interview with The Verge, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman asserted that the platform was not originally designed to support third-party apps and clarified that the proposed changes would not be withdrawn.
It is worth noting that Reddit previously experienced a security breach in 2018, where a hacker gained access to user data, including email addresses, historical usernames, and passwords.