Security Vulnerability in Avelo Airlines Reservation API Exposed Passenger Records to Brute-Force Attacks
By
bearsyankees
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
A security researcher discovered a critical vulnerability in Avelo Airlines' reservation API that allowed brute-force attacks to access passenger records without last name verification or rate limiting. The vulnerability exposed millions of passenger records including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and booking details. The researcher responsibly disclosed the issue to Avelo, who responded professionally and patched the vulnerability within a month. The article details the technical aspects of the vulnerability, the responsible disclosure process, and the security implications for airline systems.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledThe vulnerability allowed an attacker to brute-force passenger records by enumerating reservation confirmation numbers without requiring last name verification.
Avelo's cybersecurity team responded quickly and professionally, and we had productive email exchanges where I detailed the vulnerability.
The exposed data included passenger names, email addresses, phone numbers, and booking details - essentially all the information needed for identity theft or targeted phishing attacks.
This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing proper authentication and rate limiting on APIs that handle sensitive passenger data.
Within a month of responsible disclosure, Avelo pushed a fix to production and the vulnerabilities were patched.
You might also wanna read
Prompt Injection Attacks: The Top Security Threat Hijacking AI Chatbots
Prompt injection attacks are a critical security vulnerability in AI systems where hidden instructions within user data (like emails or docu
buff.ly·10h ago
Quantum computing's security threats demand urgent preparation from IT professionals
The article discusses the impending quantum computing revolution and its dual nature: promising transformative advances while simultaneously
zdnet.com·10h ago
CISA warns security teams of wave of attacks targeting software supply chain credentials
CISA has issued a warning urging security teams to check for software development compromises, specifically regarding a wave of attacks targ
cybersecuritydive.com·18h ago
Security Researchers Expose Weak Encryption in Canon Enterprise Printers
During a network security assessment, security researchers discovered that Canon enterprise printers configured with default administrator c
securityboulevard.com·1d ago
Cybercriminals Use Stolen Hotel Reservation Data to Launch Targeted Phishing Attacks on Travelers
Security researchers have discovered that cybercriminals are stealing real hotel reservation data from at least 350 hotels across 50 countri
wired.com·1d ago
New browser-based side-channel attack uses SSD activity analysis to spy on users
Researchers have discovered a new browser-based side-channel attack that can spy on users by analyzing SSD (Solid State Drive) activity thro
arstechnica.com·1d ago