June 12, 2024
TikTok has recently become a victim of hackers who gained unauthorised access to several celebrities and news platform accounts, including Paris Hilton’s and the official account for CNN. The hackers infected these accounts with malware, and the bot spread it through direct messages on TikTok.
The attack, also known as a “zero-day” attack, was only identified by Forbes, who reported that the malware was being sent through TikTok’s direct message option. This kind of attack is especially problematic because it grants the hacker full access to the account to use without the owner’s permission.
CNN’s TikTok account was deactivated for a few days after the hack, and the company is in the process of putting in extra security features for the account as the upcoming presidential election in the Fall approaches. Multiple CNN employees complained about the absence of cybersecurity policies at the network; reportedly, more than 50 coworkers had access to Covid video on TikTok.
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The hackers also tried and possibly compromised Paris Hilton’s TikTok account, but the extent of the breach remains unknown. Indeed, the attack unveils weak links in the social media’s protection and underlines that TikTok needs to increase the level of its security.
TikTok has vowed to fight the attack and is currently in the process of restoring the accounts belonging to the users. The company has also admitted to cooperating with the affected parties to enhance the security mechanisms to avoid such an act by other people in the future.
