Ticketmaster hackers are seeking $8 million ransom from Live Nation for allegedly stealing 193 million barcodes, including 440,00 Taylor Swift tickets.
Hacker group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the May breach on Ticketmaster in a Breach Forums post.
Ticketmaster Hackers Threatens to Leak Ticket Data
In a forum post, hackers shared ticket data samples obtained for Swift's "Era's Tour" in Indianapolis, Miami, and New Orleans. Moreover, there are allegedly 30 million barcodes obtained for other high-profile concerts and sporting events.
"To celebrate the 4th of July, we present to you 440k Taylor Swift Eras game tickets, and instead of her tour she's performing in front of Congress," the hackers announced.
The hackers also mentioned that they previously negotiated a $1 million ransom for the breach. However, the ransom was raised to $8 million.
Earlier this year, ShinyHunters claimed to have accessed Ticketmaster's data after breaching a third-party contractor. Details like names, payment details, phone numbers, and more were allegedly breached.
Live Nation Denies Negotiations With Hackers
Live Nation stated that it had not engaged in any negotiation with the hackers and had no intention of offering the ransom money. The company also emphasized the power of the ticketing technology behind Ticketmaster, making it impossible to reuse leaked barcodes.
"If you're running events of the size and scale of the Eras tour, you are not going to make it easy for someone to just get access to a database and then be able to create a fake ticket," said Don Smith, VP at cybersecurity firm Secureworks.
Cybersecurity experts who examined the leak assured that the stolen data would not be used as a ticket due to Ticketmaster's ability to create dynamic barcodes. The concert barcodes are refreshed every few seconds compared to the static movement of the hack.
