Baltimore 311 calls data leaked via misconfigured Kibana database
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City of Baltimore's 311 Services hotline calls have been exposed online due to a misconfigured Kibana instance that left a database of 13.5 million complaints accessible without a password. This database, which has now been secured, contained sensitive information dating back to 1989, including:
- Reports of alleged illegal activity
- Traffic accidents
- Housing sanitization complaints
- Animal control complaints
- Speed camera locations and statuses
- Road quality reports
The number of exposed individuals is not disclosed but number of complaints and the period of records indicate that most households in Baltimore have had a complaint recorded at some point in time and are now exposed. Baltimore has approximately 254,707 households, so a safe bet is about 200,000 people and their data has leaked.
The data from 1989, predating the 311 Service in 1996, suggests that old digitized reports were part of the data leak. Given Baltimore's high ranking in violent crime rates in the US, the exposure of such sensitive information could be particularly dangerous for citizens.
