【AI前沿】Open source tool maker Grafana Labs says hackers stole its code, refuses to pay ransom

Grafana Labs, the maker of its eponymous popular open source web visualization software, confirmed it had been hacked but that it refused to pay the hackers who had threatened to release the company’s codebase.Ina series of postson social media, the lab said its investigation found that the hackers had abused a stolen token credential that allowed access to the company’s GitHub environment, which it uses for storing its source code, but the token did not allow access to customer records or financial data. The company has since invalidated the token and added additional security measures to prevent a repeat incident.“The attacker attempted to blackmail us, demanding payment to prevent the release of our codebase,” the company said.Grafana’s code is open source and public, meaning anyone can download the software and edit its code before running it on their own machines. It’s unclear if the hackers stole any proprietary code or information. A spokesperson for the company did not immediately return a request for comment.The incident contrasts with the recent hack at education tech giant Instructure, which last week“reached an agreement” to pay the hackerswho had compromised its network twice in recent weeks. The hackers had demanded an unspecified ransom, threatening to release stolen data about staff and students who use its softwarefollowing a massive data breach and a subsequent website defacement.While in Grafana’s case, no customer data was taken, the company cited the FBI’s long-standing advice urging victims not to pay hackers, as cooperating with them does not guarantee they will return stolen data or refrain from publishing it later. Critics also say paying cybercriminals helps to fund future cyberattacks.Grafana said its investigation was ongoing and will share its findings once its probe concludes.This story was updated to correct that the hackers compromised access to Grafana’s GitHub environment.Topicscyberattack,cybersecurity,data breach,extortion,grafana,open source,SecurityWhen you purchase through links in our articles,we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.Zack WhittakerSecurity EditorZack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He also authors the weekly cybersecurity newsletter,this week in security.He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal. You can also contact him by email, or to verify outreach, [email protected] BioMay 27Athens, GreeceStrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone.REGISTER NOWMost PopularUsers turn to jailbreaking their older Kindles as Amazon ends supportLauren ForristalOpenAI launches ChatGPT for personal finance, will let you connect bank accountsIvan MehtaUS orders travelers on Air Force One to throw away gifts, pins, and burner phones after China tripLorenzo Franceschi-BicchieraiOpenAI is reportedly preparing legal action against Apple; it wouldn’t be the first partner to feel burnedConnie LoizosHow to turn off Instagram’s new Instants feature and retract photos you accidentally sharedAisha MalikSpotify launches a Wrapped-style recap of your entire listening historyIvan MehtaAmazon launches 30-minute delivery across the USSarah Perez