Abu Dhabi Finance Week Data Leak Exposes Global Figures’ Passport Information in Cloud Server Lapse
Published
Key Takeaways
- High-Profile Exposure: An ADFW data leak exposed personal data of global figures, including former British Prime Minister David Cameron and hedge fund billionaire Alan Howard.
- Unprotected Storage: Scans of 700+ identity documents were found on an unsecured cloud storage server managed by a third-party vendor, accessible via a web browser.
- Rapid Remediation: ADFW acknowledged the incident, stating they secured the environment immediately, and access was limited to the security researcher who found it.
An Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) data breach has affected attendees, exposing sensitive identification documents belonging to notable attendees, including former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, hedge fund billionaire Alan Howard, and American investor Anthony Scaramucci.
According to the Financial Times, an unsecured cloud storage server contained scans of more than 700 passports and state identity cards. The state-sponsored event, held in December, drew more than 35,000 participants.
Third-Party Vendor Vulnerability Identified
Security researcher Roni Suchowski discovered that the sensitive data was accessible to anyone with a web browser, requiring no authentication to view, the FT said.Â
The exposure was traced to a storage environment managed by a third-party vendor, ADFW said in a statement to Reuters, attributing it to a specific vulnerability affecting a limited subset of attendees.Â
Organizers emphasized that the server was secured immediately after the passport data exposure was reported. Initial forensic reviews indicated that access to the exposed data was limited primarily to the researcher who identified the issue, ADFW added.
Cybersecurity for Global Events Under Scrutiny
The ADFW data breach impact extends beyond immediate privacy loss, raising concerns about identity theft and physical security for high-profile targets.Â
As major international summits continue to digitize attendee management, ensuring the security of third-party vendors and cloud storage configurations is paramount to preventing similar exposures in the future.
In other recent news, an APOIA.se data breach exposed more than 450,000 users, and a UPenn Breach leaked the details of 624,000 individuals.
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