Adobe says source code, data of 2.9 million customers stolen by hackers

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 4 October 2013 10:25 IST
Adobe says source code, data of 2.9 million customers stolen by hackers
Adobe Systems Inc said on Thursday that hackers had stolen source code to some of its most popular software and data about millions of its customers.

Security experts worry about the theft of source code because close review of the programs can lead to the discovery of new flaws that can be used to launch hard-to-detect attacks against all users of that software.

The hackers took source code for Adobe Acrobat, which is used to create electronic documents in the PDF format, as well as ColdFusion and ColdFusion Builder, used to create Internet applications, Adobe said.

Adobe Chief Security Officer Brad Arkin said the company had been investigating the breach since its discovery two weeks ago and that it had no evidence of any attacks based on the theft. "Based on our findings to date, we are not aware of any specific increased risk to customers as a result of this incident," Arkin wrote on an Adobe blog.

Arkin said hackers also took information on 2.9 million Adobe customers, including their names, user identification numbers and encrypted passwords and payment card numbers. He said the attacks may be related.

Advertisement

The company said it was resetting passwords for affected customers worldwide and warning people to change any passwords reused at other sites. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's computer incident response team on Thursday warned that Adobe customers should be on the alert for fraud.

Adobe said it was working with banks and federal law enforcement to mitigate intrusions on customer accounts and to pursue those responsible.

Advertisement

The company said it had been helped by cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs and security expert Alex Holden, who found a cache of Adobe code while probing attacks at three major U.S. data providers.

Krebs wrote on his blog, KrebsonSecurity.com, on Thursday that the two men discovered the code while investigating breaches at Dun & Bradstreet Corp, Altegrity Inc's Kroll Background America Inc and Reed Elsevier's LexisNexis Inc.

Advertisement

He said the Adobe code was on a server that he believed was used by those who hacked into LexisNexis and the others. The hackers offered Social Security numbers, credit report information and other highly sensitive data for sale over the Internet and had access inside the companies' websites through hacked computers, Krebs said.

In a 10-Q filing on Thursday, Adobe referred to the recent attacks in one paragraph. "We do not believe that the attacks will have a material adverse impact on our business or financial results," it said. "It is possible, nevertheless, that this incident could have various adverse effects."

© Thomson Reuters 2013

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Adobe, Internet
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Poco F7 Spotted on Geekbench With Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, 12GB of RAM
  2. OnePlus 13s Sale Starts Today in India: Check Price and Offers
  3. Top Smartphones Under Rs 30,000 in India (June 2025): Check List
  4. Realme Narzo 80 Lite 5G to Launch in India on This Day
  5. Apple Might Use AI Tags to Help Users Find Relevant Apps on App Store
  6. Infinix GT 30 Pro 5G Goes on Sale in India: See Launch Offers
  7. Realme 15 Pro Tipped to Launch in India in These Colour Options
  8. iPhone 17 Roundup: Price, Specifications and Everything We Know So Far
  9. Disney, Universal Sue Image Creator Midjourney for Copyright Infringement
  10. US Senators Seek Details on Meta's Stablecoin Plans
  1. Nintendo Switch 2 Closer to Xbox Series S Than PS4 in Power, Says Koei Tecmo
  2. Nothing Phone 3 to Be Manufactured in India, Company Reveals Portion of Rear Panel With Model Number
  3. Infinix GT 30 Pro 5G Now Available for Purchase in India: Price, Specifications, Offers
  4. Axiom-4 Mission Carrying Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Reportedly Delayed Due to LOx Leak
  5. Apple to Reportedly Use AI-Powered Tags to Improve App Discoverability on the App Store
  6. Poco F7 With Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC Surfaces on Geekbench After Company Hints at Imminent Launch
  7. Realme Narzo 80 Lite 5G India Launch Date Set for June 16
  8. OnePlus Nord 5 Allegedly Visits Geekbench With Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, 12GB of RAM
  9. US Senators Seek Details on Meta's Stablecoin Plans as GENIUS Act Stands Close to Approval
  10. Disney, Universal Sue Image Creator Midjourney for Copyright Infringement
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.