Brinztech Alert: The Alleged Database of Sabato Sera is Leaked

Dark Web News Analysis

The dark web news reports a data leak involving Sabato Sera, an Italian news weekly and online portal (sabatosera.it). A threat actor on a hacker forum has released a database allegedly dating back to 2016.

The leaked file is in SQL format and contains approximately 756 rows of data. While the dataset is relatively small and dated, its presence on a monitored hacker forum suggests that threat actors are actively trading or sharing older databases to fuel credential stuffing lists or build historical profiles on targets. The platform involved is identified as WordPress, a common target for automated attacks.

Key Cybersecurity Insights

Even “old” data leaks pose significant risks, serving as a reminder that data has a long shelf life in the cybercriminal ecosystem:

• The “Zombie” Credential Threat: Although the data is from 2016, users notoriously reuse passwords across decades. Attackers use these 10-year-old passwords to attempt logins on current services (Netflix, Amazon, corporate email), banking on the fact that the user never updated their credentials.
• WordPress Vulnerability Lifecycle: The leak points to a likely SQL Injection (SQLi) vulnerability in a legacy WordPress plugin or theme. Many organizations migrate content to new servers but leave old databases or backup files accessible in the web root, allowing attackers to download them years later.
• Targeting Small Media: Smaller regional news outlets are often “soft targets.” They are frequently used as watering holes—compromised to serve malware to their specific readership—or used to host SEO spam.
• SQL Import Utility: The availability of the data in raw .sql format means it can be instantly imported into a local environment for querying. Attackers don’t need to parse complex text files; they can simply run SELECT * FROM users to extract password hashes.

Mitigation Strategies

To protect against legacy data risks and platform vulnerabilities, the following strategies are recommended:

• Legacy User Notification: Sabato Sera should notify any users who have had an account since 2016, advising them that if they still use that password anywhere else, it must be changed immediately.
• Archive Audit: IT teams should scan their web servers for “ghost” files—old database backups (e.g., backup_2016.sql) that may have been left in public folders during previous migrations.
• WordPress Hardening: Ensure the current WordPress installation is running the latest core version and that no abandoned plugins are active. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block SQL injection attempts.
• Password Hashing Review: If the 2016 database used weak hashing (like MD5), the risk is critical. Modern systems should enforce bcrypt or Argon2 hashing.

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