750M Indian phone numbers up for sale on dark web

Threat actors have recently advertised a massive, 1.8TB-strong database containing a staggering 750 million individual phone numbers.

The phone numbers allegedly belong to Indian mobile network consumers, although the affected service providers are not specified.

Cybersecurity firm CloudSEK, which made the discovery, said that the massive database has been advertised by two threat actors, CYBOCREW affiliates, namely, CyboDevil and UNIT8200.

A recent post on an underground forum advertised the comprehensive Indian Mobile Network Consumer Database for sale by CyboDevil, and a similar post was shared by UNIT8200 on Telegram in mid-January.

The dataset allegedly contains not only phone numbers but also names, addresses, and Aadhaar (a 12-digit unique identity number) details.

That makes 750 million individual phone numbers up for sale, over half of India’s population (1.4 billion).

The threat actor has asked for $3,000 for the entire dataset. Based on the analysis of the data sample, CloudSEK said that the leak “affects all major telecom providers.”

As per CloudSEK, the attacker “has denied any involvement in the breach and has claimed to have obtained the data through undisclosed asset work within law enforcement channels.”

The CYBOCREW is a relatively new threat group that arrived on the scene in July 2023, and CyboDevil and UNIT8200 are among its most active affiliates. They’ve been linked to “major breaches, targeting multiple organizations in the automobile, jewelry, insurance, and apparel sectors.”