Security Lapses Lead to Squarespace Domain Hijacks

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Security Lapses Lead to Squarespace Domain Hijacks

By CircleID Reporter
July 16, 2024, 11:28 am PDT Views: 5,008 Add Comment

At least a dozen organizations experienced domain hijacks through the domain registrar Squarespace last week. The incidents, occurring between July 9 and July 12, primarily affected cryptocurrency businesses such as Celer Network, Compound Finance, Pendle Finance, and Unstoppable Domains. Hackers exploited a vulnerability in the domain migration process from Google Domains to Squarespace, allowing them to take control of domains by simply registering an email associated with unclaimed domains.

Assumption enabled hijacks: Brian Krebs, a renowned security researcher, highlighted that the root of the problem lies in Squarespace’s assumption that users would use social logins rather than email logins during the migration. This oversight enabled malicious actors to create accounts with emails tied to recently migrated domains before legitimate users did. The lack of required email verification further exacerbated the issue, granting unauthorized access to the domains.

Experts urge action: Security experts from Metamask and Paradigm identified these vulnerabilities and recommended urgent measures for Squarespace users to secure their accounts, including enabling multi-factor authentication and removing unnecessary user accounts. The breach has raised concerns about the overall security and monitoring capabilities provided by Squarespace, prompting calls for better user control and transparency. Squarespace has yet to respond publicly to the breach or the recommendations provided by security experts.

By CircleID Reporter — CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.
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