Roku hackers breach 15,000 accounts and are selling them online

Roku has disclosed a breach that allowed hackers to gain access to 15,363 accounts and stored credit card information, as first reported by Bleeping Computer. In a notice sent to customers, Roku says hackers obtained login information and tried to purchase streaming subscriptions in a “limited number” of instances.

Hackers likely obtained account information exposed in previous data breaches of third-party services, Roku says. This kind of attack, called credential stuffing, involves hackers getting the emails and passwords exposed in data breaches and trying the combination on other services. Once they gained access to an account, Roku hackers changed the login information for some accounts, allowing them to gain full control.

If the account had stored credit card info, hackers could also purchase subscriptions within Roku for services such as Netflix, Max, Paramount Plus, Hulu, Peacock, Disney Plus, and others. Bleeping Computer also found that hackers are selling the stolen information for around 50 cents per account on a hacking marketplace.

One saving grace is that the Roku accounts didn’t reveal social security numbers, full payment account numbers, or dates of birth. Roku says it has since “secured the accounts from further unauthorized access” by asking affected users to reset their passwords. It’s also working to cancel and refund unauthorized purchases. Even if you weren’t affected by this data breach, it still might be worth checking HaveIBeenPwned to see if any of your credentials have been exposed recently. It also couldn’t hurt to change your Roku password.