Asos App Users Alerted of Possible Snowflake (see details) Data Breach
Asos app users in the UK received a push notification on Tuesday morning claiming a compromise of the online fashion retailer's Snowflake instance. The alert, titled "ASOS HACKED," was sent to the company's data protection officer (DPO) and IT team via a Telegram channel.
"Dear ASOS DPO and IT, we have fully compromised the Snowflake instance. Engage with us, or we will leak it," read the message, received by dozens of users, according to the BBC.
While Asos has not confirmed the hack, its shares fell by more than 10% upon the news.
The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, has offered Asos its assistance.
Understanding the Threat
The message linked to a Telegram channel belonging to a newly formed group calling itself the Xuanye Group. No prior references to this group have been found on hacker forums or Telegram channels, according to the Guardian.
Snowflake is a cloud platform used by companies to store and analyze data. While it's unclear whether Asos is a Snowflake customer or what data, if any, is stored there, a similar campaign targeted Snowflake customers like Ticketmaster, Santander, and AT&T in 2024.
Reacting to the Alert
"Sending a push notification to ASOS’s app users would require access to the company’s notification system, which is separate from the Snowflake data platform the attackers claim to have compromised," said Dan Bird, a cybersecurity expert, per the BBC.
Alan Snyder, chief executive of NowSecure, emphasized the importance of app security, stating, "Customers shouldn’t have to figure out whether their shopping app is speaking for the retailer or an attacker."
Shares in Asos dropped by more than 14% on the London Stock Exchange following the notification.