Microsoft Confirms LAPSUS$ Hack After Extortion Group Releases Stolen 37GB Source Code [UPDATE]

Microsoft confirmed it has been hacked by LAPSUS$ shortly after the extortion group, which previously targeted Nvidia and Samsung, released 37GB of stolen source code allegedly from the software tech giant.

The tech giant has earlier begun its investigation of a potential hacking incident involving its cloud platform, Azure.

On top of that, before Microsoft started its investigation LAPSUS$ claimed to have hacked the tech giant. It simultaneously leaked some screenshots of sensitive data supposedly belonging to the Windows maker.

Microsoft Confirms LAPSUS$ Hack

As per a news story by The Verge, the extortion group behind the recent massive hacking incident involving Samsung and Nvidia has posted 37GB worth of files, which the gang claims to be source code for the search engine of Microsoft, Bing, and its virtual assistant, Cortana.

This time around, upon the investigation of Microsoft, it now confirms that "a single account" got compromised, allowing the hackers, dubbed by the tech firm as DEV-0537, to steal some source code of its services.

However, the giant firm said that the said account only granted the hackers "limited access." It also added that its cybersecurity team had already contained the compromised "single account," preventing further hacking activities.

What's more, the software tech giant went on to assure the public that both the code and data of its customers are not part of the recent hacking incident based on the investigation of the firm.

Microsoft also explained that exposing its source code to the public eye does not carry any risk, noting that it "does not rely on the secrecy of code as a security measure."

Microsoft and LAPSUS

It also turns out that the tech behemoth has been tracking the LAPSUS$ hacking group for weeks already, The Verge noted in the same report.

In fact, Microsoft has already learned some of the ways of the extortion group in infiltrating its targets. The tech firm even disclosed it in its recent security blog post.

Microsoft LAPSUS$ Hack

According to a recent report by Bleeping Computer, the source code that LAPSUS$ has posted online includes various products and services of Microsoft, such as Bing Maps, Bing, and Cortana.

The hacking extortion group claimed that the leak includes a whopping 90% Bing source code, along with around 45% of Cortana and Bing Maps source code.

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Written by Teejay Boris