Nissan customers exposed in data breach following Red Hat hack

Nissan has confirmed a data breach affecting 21,000 customers following a security incident at its software provider, Red Hat.

The automaker revealed that personal information was compromised after unauthorized access was gained to servers managing its sales systems.

The breach specifically impacts individuals who purchased vehicles or received maintenance at Nissan Fukuoka Sales Co., Ltd. in Japan. While the breach occurred at a third-party vendor, the leaked data includes several sensitive personal identifiers.

Compromised information includes full names, physical addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. Nissan also noted that internal customer data used for sales operations was exposed. The company clarified that financial information and credit card details were not part of the leak.

The incident originated from a massive breach at Red Hat first detected in September. That attack targeted tens of thousands of private software repositories. A threat actor group known as Crimson Collective originally claimed responsibility for the data theft.

Later, the hacking group ShinyHunters posted samples of the stolen data on an extortion platform. This was done to increase pressure on the software firm. Nissan stated that the specific environment used for its data did not contain information beyond what was confirmed as leaked.

This is the second cybersecurity event to hit Nissan’s Japanese operations this year. In August, the ransomware group Qilin targeted Creative Box Inc., a design subsidiary of the automaker. The company has faced several similar challenges globally over the past two years.

In North America, a previous breach exposed the data of 53,000 employees. Additionally, an attack by the Akira ransomware group in Oceania affected 100,000 customers. These repeated incidents highlight the persistent security risks within the automotive supply chain.

Nissan reported that it currently has no evidence that the stolen Fukuoka customer data has been misused. The company continues to monitor the situation while working with security experts to bolster its defences.