MongoDB confirms exposure of customer data in attack
No evidence of exposure to the data stored in MongoDB Atlas cloud, it says
Database company MongoDB said last week that it was investigating a security incident that has led to unauthorised access to specific corporate systems.
Founded in 2007 by Dwight Merriman, Eliot Horowitz and Kevin Ryan, MongoDB is a US-based company that created the popular open-source NoSQL database management system of the same name.
MongoDB disclosed on Saturday that it first detected anomalous activity on its systems on 13th December, prompting the firm to swiftly activate its incident response procedure.
The breach resulted in the exposure of customer account metadata and contact information, marking a significant cybersecurity challenge for the company.
"We are aware of unauthorized access to some corporate systems that contain customer names, phone numbers, and email addresses among other customer account metadata, including system logs for one customer," MondoDB said in a security incident notification.
However, data stored in MongoDB Atlas, the company's cloud-based database service, appears not to have been affected.
"It is important to note that MongoDB Atlas cluster access is authenticated via a separate system from MongoDB corporate systems, and we have found no evidence that the Atlas cluster authentication system has been compromised," the company said.
The investigation is currently underway, and MongoDB says it is working with relevant authorities and forensic experts.
Despite the ongoing investigation, it is currently unclear how long the unauthorised access persisted and what specific systems were compromised during the cyberattack. However, the company has acknowledged that the unauthorised access had been ongoing for some time before its discovery.
In an update provided by MongoDB on 16th December, MongoDB said it noticed a recent spike in login attempts.
This spike resulted in access issues for some customers attempting to log in to MongoDB Atlas and the Support Portal. However, the company clarified that this increased activity is unrelated to the security incident under investigation.
MongoDB CISO Lena Smart issued an email to the company's customers, cautioning them against potential social engineering and phishing threats.
The company advises the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and the regular rotation of passwords as precautionary measures to enhance security.
Users are also encouraged to stay informed through MongoDB's official channels for the latest developments and adhere to the recommended security practices to safeguard their data.