Kakao Games Hit by Hacking Attack That Exposes Personal Information of 140 People

[Financial News] Kakao Games' services were targeted by an external attack, exposing the personal information of 140 users. Key information that could identify them, such as their names and contact details, was not leaked. Kakao Games launched an emergency response, including reporting the incident to government agencies immediately after detecting the attack.
According to industry sources on the 17th, Kakao Games announced on its website that the personal information of 140 users of the 'Partners' and 'Link (RINK)' services had been exposed externally.
Partners is a program that supports content production for game promotion, while RINK is a service that allows users to remotely control games running on a PC from a smartphone.
Kakao Games first detected unusual signs at 10:44 p.m. on the 12th and confirmed the data leak at 12:50 a.m. on the 14th. It immediately blocked the breach route and inspected the relevant systems. During the investigation, the company confirmed unauthorized access to some systems and reported the incident to the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) and other relevant agencies. Users whose personal information was leaked were notified individually by email.
The information leaked from Partners included third-party identification codes and third-party IDs used for external integration, while the information leaked from RINK consisted of identification codes and some country codes. In some cases where IDs used for external integration were leaked, passwords were not exposed. A Kakao Games official stated, "It was confirmed that an external attacker had gained unauthorized access by exploiting vulnerabilities in the Partners and RINK systems," adding, "Although internal identifiers such as personal identification values (PIDs) were leaked, no highly sensitive personal information was found to have been exposed."
The company explained that the risk of misuse is low because the identification codes are difficult to use to identify individuals. However, the possibility that the information could be exploited for phishing, smishing, voice phishing, or account theft cannot be ruled out.
Kakao Games has begun measures to prevent a recurrence by investigating the cause of the incident and conducting a comprehensive review of its security systems. It is working with an external security specialist to investigate the cause and scope of the incident, while also establishing a dedicated contact channel in case personal information is suspected of being misused or damage occurs.
Kakao Games said, "While taking measures to prevent further damage, we are also actively cooperating with investigations by the relevant agencies," adding, "Once the exact scope of the damage is finally confirmed, we will provide the necessary user notifications and protective measures in accordance with the relevant procedures. We apologize for causing concern to our users."
[email protected] Jang Min-kwon Reporter