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A massive data breach in China has exposed more than 4 billion user records, marking what is believed to be the largest data leak in the country’s history. The leaked database includes highly sensitive information such as identity card numbers, birthdates, residential details, phone numbers, and financial data tied to platforms like WeChat and Alipay.
Exposed: 631GB of Unprotected Personal Data
According to cybersecurity outlet Cybernews, a 631-gigabyte trove of private data was left unsecured and accessible online without a password. The leak, discovered by cybersecurity researcher Bob Dyachenko in collaboration with Cybernews, contained an estimated 4 billion records—all freely available to anyone who found the exposed server.
The nature and volume of the data suggest that it may have been part of a centralized profiling system, potentially used to build detailed behavioral, economic, and social profiles of Chinese citizens. Cybernews noted that the size, scope, and diversity of the data indicate it likely required significant resources and technical expertise to compile—pointing to a well-organized actor.
What’s in the Leak? A Breakdown of the Collections
Cybernews researchers identified sixteen distinct datasets, including:
- WeChat records: ~805 million entries
- Residential data with geolocation tags: ~780 million records
- Financial data (card numbers, names, phone numbers, birthdates): ~630 million entries
- User IDs and phone numbers: ~610 million records
Each dataset appears to have been sourced from different platforms or institutions, raising serious concerns about centralized surveillance, profiling, or data enrichment efforts.
A Breach with Broad Implications
The leaked information is highly exploitable. Cybercriminals could use it for identity theft, financial fraud, blackmail, phishing, or social engineering attacks. Although the exposed server was taken offline shortly after its discovery, the identity of the database owner remains unknown.
Cybernews stressed that it did not have time to fully analyze or verify the entire database before it was removed. However, the scale and sensitivity of the breach signal a new level of risk for digital privacy and security, especially in the context of state-level data aggregation or large-scale surveillance programs.
