Hackers claimed this week that they had obtained barcode data for hundreds of thousands of tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, demanding that Ticketmaster pay millions in ransom money or they would leak the information online.
The hacking group posted samples of the data to an online forum– ticket data on Swift’s shows in Indianapolis, Miami, and New Orleans – and alleged that it possessed an additional 30m million barcodes for other high-profile concerts and sporting events.The ransom posts on the online forum were from the hacking group ShinyHunters, and an account that appeared to be associated with it called Sp1d3rHunters. The group has a history of claiming responsibility for major hacks against companies including Santander bank, AT&T, Microsoft and others.
Ticketmaster denied offering any money to the hackers, who had not engaged with the company about the ransom, according to a statement from parent Live National Entertainment. Ticketmaster also stated that its ticketing technology prevented such leaked barcodes from being used as tickets by refreshing barcodes every few seconds.
Ticketmaster hit by data hack that may affect 560m customers
Hopeful Swifties probably won’t be able to attend their icon’s world tour with an ill-gotten ticket. Although the data appeared to be from the hacking group’s large scale breach of Ticketmaster and Live Nation earlier this year, cybersecurity experts who examined the leak agreed that the stolen data would not be useful for gaining access to an arena. The data could not be used as a ticket because the Ticketmaster mobile application uses dynamic barcodes, experts said, whereas the data in the hack is static.
“This data is almost certainly not sufficient to allow someone to recreate a barcode to get in,” said Don Smith, vice-president at the cybersecurity firm Secureworks. “If you’re running events of the size and scale of the Eras tour, you are not going to make it easy for someone to just get access to a database and then be able to create a fake ticket.”
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/cmstintuc/images/hackers-leak-alleged-taylor-swift-ticket-data-to-extort-ticketmaster_2.jpeg)
Despite ShinyHunters’ ability to gain access to the Swift ticketing data, which included information on tickets for nine upcoming dates across the three US cities, experts said that companies such as Live Nation have more sophisticated measures to prevent that data from being used to actually steal tickets.
“If the thought here was that you’re going to create absolute chaos on all future Eras tour dates, I don’t think so,” Smith said.
The ransom threat to Live Nation is part of a broader rise in cyberattacks and ransomware in recent years. The attacks have targeted major corporations and public institutions, with analysts estimating that victims paid out $1.1bn in ransoms in 2023. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service is still reeling from a devastating attack by a Russia-based ransomware gang in June.
Earlier this year, ShinyHunters allegedly breached a third party contractor to gain access to Ticketmaster’s data that included the names, partial payment details, phone numbers, ticket sales and other information on around 560 million customers. LiveNation confirmed the hack in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in May after ShinyHunters took credit for the attack.
The hack added to Live Nation’s myriad of public relations problems and legal woes. The US Department of Justice sued the company in May, alleging it was illegally monopolizing ticket sales and seeking to break it up. Live Nation also faced widespread backlash over its handling of Swift’s Eras tour, with a botched sales process leading to hours-long waits, failure to handle consumer demand and tickets going on resale for exorbitant amounts. Swift herself has bashed the company repeatedly.
Swift’s tour has been the target of cyberattacks before. In February, hackers breached Australian events company Ticketek, breaking into individual accounts and reselling Eras tour tickets. The company set up pop-up stands outside Swift’s shows for fans to report their concerns and potentially regain their tickets.
ShinyHunters has also claimed responsibility for accessing bank and credit card numbers for around 30 million customers and employees at Santander bank earlier this year. The group attempted to sell that information to the highest bidder. In May, the FBI and US Department of Justice seized the online forum that ShinyHunters used to post information and ransom threats from its Live Nation and Santander hacks, but another site quickly popped up.
News
Tinashe Recalls Feeling Starstruck When Christina Aguilera Used ‘Nasty’ in a Video: ‘I Screamed’
Tinashe Recalls Feeling Starstruck When Christina Aguilera Used ‘Nasty’ in a Video: ‘I Screamed’ “She was a hero of mine growing up,” the 31-year-old singer added of Xtina. Tinashe performs at the Nashville Pride 2024 on June 22, 2024 in Nashville,…
CHRISTINA Aguilera intentionally revealed black t:a:pe on her chest in a sexy performance that shocked fans
Christina Aguilera accidentally flashes black tape over her boobs in sexy New Year’s Eve performance CHRISTINA Aguilera accidentally flashed black tape over her boobs during her sexy New Year’s Eve performance. The 39-year-old star put on a rousing display for…
Christina Aguilera shocks fans in dazzling nude bodysuit as she brings her X Tour to Ireland
Christina Aguilera shocks fans in dazzling nude bodysuit as she brings her X Tour to Ireland CHRISTINA Aguilera shocked fans in a dazzling nude bodysuit as she brought her X Tour to Ireland last night. The 38-year-old pop beauty got…
Christina Aguilera is unrecognisable as she bares all in flawless make-up free cover shoot
Christina Aguilera is unrecognisable as she bares all in flawless make-up free cover shoot The Dirrty singer, 37, showed off a very different look as she posed up for Paper magazine Christina Aguilera unrecognisable as she bares flawless skin in…
Christina Aguilera’s cryptic social media post sends fans into a frenzy: ‘What happened?’
After headlining a music festival in Mexico, the singer had fans worried. Christina Aguilera’s fans have been left worried by her recent social media post. Credit: TikTok/madamxtina and Instagram @xtina Iconic singer Christina Aguilera is currently in the midst of…
Christina Aguilera stunned fans when she let a shirtless male dancer lie on top of the audience
Michelle Obama takes in Christina Aguilera’s Las Vegas concert where she gets special attention from a shirtless twerking male dancer Barack Obama’s wife Michelle Obama had a fun night on Wednesday evening when she was not only treated to a performance by…
End of content
No more pages to load