LinkedIn accounts targeted in massive account hijacking effort
Take action: If you have a recycled or weak password on Linkedin, time to use a Password Manager and generate a strong random password. NOW. And activate MFA on your Linkedin account. Alternatively, you can pay for ransom or start with a brand new account after your current LinkedIn account is stolen.
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LinkedIn users are facing a series of targeted account hacks, resulting in numerous accounts being either locked out for security reasons or taken over by attackers. Many LinkedIn users have expressed frustration about their accounts being compromised or locked, and attempts to seek help through LinkedIn's support have proven unproductive.
Some users have been coerced into paying ransoms to regain control of their accounts or have been threatened with the permanent deletion of their accounts.
Users have taken to platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and Microsoft forums to criticize LinkedIn's lack of effective support for recovering hacked accounts.
The attackers behind these hacks seem to be utilizing leaked credentials or brute-force methods to target a significant number of LinkedIn accounts.
Accounts with robust security measures, like strong passwords and two-factor authentication, experience temporary locks when multiple takeover attempts are made as a protective measure. These users are then required to verify ownership and update passwords before regaining access.
Hackers who successfully breach poorly protected LinkedIn accounts swiftly change the associated email to one from the "rambler.ru" service. Subsequently, they alter the account password, effectively locking out the original account holders. Many affected users also reported that the attackers enabled two-factor authentication after gaining control, further complicating the account recovery process.
The attackers demanded small ransoms or outright deleted compromised accounts. LinkedIn accounts have substantial value for various malicious activities such as social engineering, phishing, and job offer scams.
With LinkedIn's efforts to combat fake profiles and fake behavior, the hijacking of existing accounts has become a more practical approach for hackers.
