Brinztech Alert: Database of O Calculista de Aço is Leaked

Dark Web News Analysis

A threat actor on a known cybercrime forum is claiming to have leaked a database that they allege was stolen from “O Calculista de Aço” (The Steel Calculator), a B2B platform. According to the seller’s post, the database contains approximately 13,600 rows of data in CSV format. The purportedly compromised information includes a rich set of business and personal data, such as full names, email addresses, phone numbers, job titles, and company names. The data schema strongly suggests it originates from a WordPress lead capture plugin (wpleads).

This claim, if true, represents a significant data breach with serious implications for the businesses and professionals involved. A database of B2B leads is a valuable asset for criminals, who use it to launch highly effective and personalized fraud campaigns. The incident also highlights the significant security risks associated with third-party plugins in the widely used WordPress ecosystem.

Key Cybersecurity Insights

This alleged data breach presents a critical threat to the affected businesses:

• A Toolkit for Sophisticated B2B Spear-Phishing: The most severe risk is the use of this data for targeted spear-phishing. With a list of professionals, including their names, job titles, and company details, attackers can craft highly convincing emails that appear to be from a colleague or a trusted industry partner to steal corporate credentials or deploy malware.
• High Risk of Business Email Compromise (BEC) and Invoice Fraud: This data is the perfect raw material for BEC attacks. Criminals can use the legitimate contact information of one company on the list to send a fraudulent invoice to another, creating a highly credible supply chain fraud scenario.
• Indication of a Common WordPress Plugin Vulnerability: The reference to the wpleads plugin is a major red flag for the entire WordPress community. It strongly suggests the breach was caused by a vulnerability in this specific plugin. This serves as an urgent warning to all other businesses using this plugin to check for security updates immediately.

Mitigation Strategies

In response to this claim, the targeted company and other WordPress users must be vigilant:

• Launch an Immediate Investigation and Verification: The top priority for “O Calculista de Aço” is to conduct an urgent forensic investigation to verify the claim’s authenticity, determine the scope of the compromised data, and identify the root cause of the breach.
• Proactive Communication with Clients and Partners: If the breach is confirmed, the company has a responsibility to proactively notify its clients and partners whose data may be in the leak. They must be warned about the high risk of targeted BEC scams and phishing attacks that may impersonate the company.
• Conduct an Urgent Vulnerability Assessment: The company must conduct a thorough vulnerability assessment of their WordPress site, with a special focus on the wpleads plugin. All other companies using this plugin should immediately check for and apply any available security patches. Enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on all administrative panels is a critical control.

Secure Your Organization with Brinztech As a cybersecurity provider, we can protect your business from the threats discussed here. Contact us to learn more about our services.

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