Neho, a real estate agency based in Switzerland, experienced a misconfiguration in its systems that exposed sensitive credentials to the public, potentially allowing threat actors to compromise the company’s internal systems and communication channels.
The leaked data included credentials for databases, email services, communication tools, and review platforms, posing a significant threat of phishing attacks and data manipulation.
Real estate agencies handle valuable personal and financial information, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. Neho promptly addressed the issue after being notified by Cybernews.
The Cybernews research team discovered a publicly accessible environment file on Neho’s official website, which contained credentials for PostgreSQL and Redis databases, as well as Amazon Web Services (AWS) Bucket credentials.
The exposed credentials could provide attackers with access to databases containing sensitive customer and property information. Additionally, credentials for email services, communication tools like Aircall and Twilio, and platforms like Trustpilot were also leaked, posing risks of phishing attacks, spamming, and reputation damage.
The compromised data allows threat actors to launch various attacks on Neho’s website and its users, with potential consequences such as identity fraud, phishing attacks, and fraudulent marketing campaigns. Real estate agencies are entrusted with a significant amount of personal identifiable information and financial details, making them prime targets for cybercriminals.
Neho’s swift response in removing the exposed file and emphasizing their key rotation practices demonstrates their commitment to addressing the issue and protecting their customers’ data.
Overall, the incident highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for real estate agencies and the need for constant vigilance in securing sensitive data.
Neho’s timely resolution of the misconfiguration is commendable, but it serves as a reminder for all organizations to regularly review and update their security practices to prevent such breaches.
