Sony hacked once again, phishing site found on server

May 20, 2011 By Andrew Couts

Security firm F-Secure has discovered a phishing site hosted on Sony's servers. But don't worry, the PlayStation Network is unaffected, this time around.

It’s official: Sony‘s hacker problems are never going away. After repeat attacks to its PlayStation Network over the past month, researchers from cyber security firm F-Secure have discovered a phishing attack site hosted on a Sony server. So yes, Sony has been hacked again. This time, however, the PSN is safe. But the previous hacks to it system appear to have left Sony’s entire online infrastructure vulnerable to attacks like this one.

The phishing site is accessed through a sub-domain of Sony’s Thailand website, hdworld.sony.co.th (do not visit). The attack site targets an Italian credit card company, Carta Si. Users of Google’s Chrome browser who try to access the site (for whatever dumb reason) will find that the site has already been flagged as malicious.

Phishing attack sites work by tricking people into entering in their login credentials and other private data into a fake website, which poses to be something legitimate. In this case, it’s a website, hosted on Sony’s servers, which is made to look like a credit card company. Anyone who foolishly enters their data into the phishing site will presumably face the wrath of whatever hacker decides to go on a spending spree on their dime (or euro, as the case may be).

Hopefully, researchers caught the phishing site before anyone fell for the ploy. Regardless, it would seem as though the damage is done for Sony, who has been under intense scrutiny since the April 19 hack of its servers, which led to the theft of nearly 13 million credit cards and left the personal data of as much as 100 million people around the world at risk.

Earlier this week, Sony was forced to shut down a number of websites, including the PlayStation Network password reset page, after hackers were using stolen credentials to infiltrate users’ accounts.It’s entirely possible — in fact, likely — that this most recent attack was made possible because of the increased vulnerability of Sony’s systems that is due to information stolen in the initial attacks.

So there you have it. Sony has been hit once again, and it probably won’t be the last time. Really, at this point, we just feel sorry for them.

Showing 11 comments

PeepingTom at 9:21pm 28th May 2011 Hackers are not here to damage gaming. They are here to say, :"Corporations are stupid and we can screw with them.", or other such nonsense. Some may be making political statements, some other messages. Not sure categorizing them makes any real sense other than some politician or corporate type using their damage for their own ends. The bottom line is that if you cannot protect your corporate/governmental infrastructure then you don't have the right people working for you.
Philip Palmer at 7:50pm 20th May 2011 If we are so surprised that this is happening to song, who is to say that this couldn't easily happen to another reputable company?
Tom Savage at 12:12pm 20th May 2011 Why do some people bother doing this? is it just a thing so that they can boast about now? Just they, whoever is doing this, can't be Gamers, because I am not a Sony fan but their are millions of people who are and whoever's is doing this should stop it so suddenly that it didn't start (I know what I mean). { What I mean is is that hackers should stay away from online game, because a lot of people enjoy playing on them and the majority probably wouldn't do it to any game that you are playing without good reason, without the reason that you are giving to them at the moment. }I hope that makes sense.
Tito Lopez at 6:18pm 20th May 2011 SONY are getting teabagged left right and center. Balls across the nose. Puts a different spin on the word Play Station.
Patricia Powers-Williamson at 6:15pm 20th May 2011 Seems like the media is turning this into a blood sport at this point.
Cow Layfo at 6:01pm 20th May 2011 I really hope XBL get hacked next. Sony is getting targeted by pretty much every lame lil hacker on the planet right now. As much as I can really hate Sony this is really just a shitty situation.
Stephen Editing Hirst at 5:43pm 20th May 2011 again there fking crap sony
Diyar Iraqî at 5:30pm 20th May 2011 Good game between Sony vs. hacker ... Who will win in last.. ;-)
Diyar Iraqî at 5:30pm 20th May 2011 Really this is funny :D
Steve Ngosia at 5:20pm 20th May 2011 Microsoft is gonna lough all the to th ebank with this one.
PeepingTom at 8:15am 20th May 2011 Sony is in serious trouble here and they need to acknowledge that they have no idea what they are doing and bring in some big guns to remake their entire network infrastructure. I do not feel sorry for them, as suggested by the author, but rather, feel angry and outraged that a corporation of their size and supposed sophistication can allow this to happen. The situation they have created (and for which they need to take full responsibility) is a disaster and they deserve loss of customers (retail and OEM) and revenue.