Forest Global Training Partners

Cyber Risks · Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks

Stolen Email Accounts of World’s Top Universities Selling on China’s Largest C2C Platform

Summary: Unit 42 found stolen university email accounts from 42 of the world's top universities across 10 countries being sold on Taobao, surfaced by a Chinese-language search for "edu mailbox" that returned 99 results, with prices from ¥0.98 RMB ($0.16 USD) to ¥2400 RMB ($390.80 USD). Sellers advertised the accounts for registering Microsoft student developer accounts, claiming student discounts from retailers such as Amazon, BestBuy, Apple and Dell, and accessing academic databases, and one seller delivered a working custom account at claud@student.cnri.edu within four hours of purchase.

Key Takeaway: One seller reported a single account type bought at least 569 times, and the same credentials and security-question answers can unlock a student's other online accounts - so the exposure is not confined to the university's library or developer program.

Read the original at Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks ↗

Topics
Malware
Related