{"id":54832,"date":"2025-05-22T17:33:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/?p=54832"},"modified":"2025-05-22T17:33:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:33:47","slug":"184-million-passwords-leaked-including-apple-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/en\/news\/184-mio-passwoerter-geleakt-auch-apple-daten-dabei","title":{"rendered":"184 million passwords leaked \u2013 including Apple data"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you use Apple services like iCloud, you should be careful now. On May 22, 2025, it was revealed that a massive database containing 184 million login credentials was exposed online. This included credentials for Apple accounts. What initially appeared to be a general security breach directly affects Apple users as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might think your Apple ID is secure because Apple has a high level of security. But the problem isn't with Apple itself. It's the fact that many people reuse their passwords. This means that even an indirect data leak can have consequences for your Apple account. Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler found an unsecured database<\/a> on an Elasticsearch server containing login credentials from at least 29 countries, including Apple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What exactly happened<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The discovered database contained 47 gigabytes of information and was accessible online without a password or encryption. It contained usernames and passwords for well-known platforms such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Apple. Fowler's original publication on the Planet website did not directly mention Apple services, but a closer investigation revealed that iCloud logins were also included. An analysis by the tech magazine Wired<\/a> confirmed this: Apple accounts appeared multiple times in a sample of 10,000 entries. The database was quickly taken offline by the hosting provider World Host Group after Fowler's report. Who created or managed it is still unknown. It is also not clear how long the data was publicly accessible or whether criminals have already accessed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why this is relevant for Apple users<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even if Apple's systems weren't directly affected, you as a user are still at risk. Many people use the same passwords for different services. For example, if your Apple password was also used on another website included in this leak, your Apple account may be compromised. The stolen data likely came from so-called infostealer malware, i.e., malicious software that reads stored login credentials from browsers or apps. Apple accounts are considered particularly valuable. They often contain payment information, access to iCloud backups, and allow remote control of devices. Attackers could attempt to log into your account, commit identity theft, view your photos, read emails, or even lock and wipe your devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is still unclear<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To this day, it's unknown who is behind the database. It's also unclear whether the data was merely collected or already shared. The server was publicly accessible, but no one knows exactly how long this was the case. The hosting provider has not disclosed any information about the customer responsible for the database. Apple itself has not yet commented on the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n