A mobile app that is no longer in operation has been identified as the source of an exposed database containing close to 500,000 personal and business financial records.Security researchers at vpnMentor were able to trace the exposed database back to a former Android and iOS app called MCA Wizard which was jointly developed by Advantage Capital Funding and Argus Capital Funding back in 2018.MCA Wizard was designed to allow businesses to apply for and manage merchant cash advance (MCA) short-term loans.
According to vpnMentor, the app stored a variety of financial documents including bank statements, photocopies of driver's licenses, credit checks and even tax and social security information.Even though the app has been pulled from both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, the data it stored was left unsecured in an AWS S3 storage bucket that remained online and was accessible without a password.In its report on the exposed database, vpnMentor explained that not only users of MCA Wizard could be affected but also their customers, employees and partners, saying:The database contained over 500,000 documents, totaling 425GB of data.
Within was a wide range of documents covering many aspects of Advantage and Arguss businesses, finances, and dealings with other companies.
These files didnt just compromise the privacy and security of Advantage and Argus, but also the customers, clients, contractors, employees, and partners.Thankfully the security researchers found no indication that the exposed database was discovered by cybercriminals before it was taken down by AWS at the beginning of January.
However, the database was taken down more than two weeks after it was first discovered.While the MCA Wizard app is no longer available, the security researchers did notice that new documents were being added to the database right up until its removal.
This suggests that another application or service could have also been using the same S3 storage bucket.If you or your business used MCA Wizard, it is recommended that you pay careful attention to your bank statements and look out for any unauthorized activity or new accounts being created.Via The Register