Chinese Dark Web Screenshots May Reveal Massive Momo Data Leak

Weibo user lxghost has posted screenshots from the Chinese dark web that seem to reveal the phone numbers and passwords of Momo users.

The user captioned the screenshots “database of 30 million Momo users”, and claimed that it was on sale for around $30. It had been purchased three times.

The data was reportedly obtained via “credential stuffing” in July 2015. The method involves disingenuous login requests being used to obtain data.

Momo made a statement to TechNode relating to the data, saying that there was no way a hacker could log in to Momo with this information because of two-factor authentication. Further, only a small amount of the user information appeared to be legitimate.

That said, users who use the same information across different social media platforms may be vulnerable.

Momo is set to share its Q3 earnings later this week. The report will come after a rocky patch – the social network’s market cap has dropped significantly since September.

Some analysts attribute the falling valuation to wider tech trends, noting that key indices like the S&P 500 have also struggled in recent weeks.

Momo was the subject of a Spruce Point Capital report in the summer which may also be having an impact, however. It argued that US investors had not taken due care before investing in Momo, and that Chinese regulatory threat may have been greater than they first expected.

Read more here.