Dhaka: The website of Prothom Alo, one of the leading newspapers in Bangladesh, has reportedly been hacked. Hackers, claiming to be “well-wishers,” have breached the site and displayed a warning message regarding user data and security. Although news services remain unaffected, a banner titled “Urgent Warning for Prothom Alo” is now visible on the website.
The warning message on the site states, “Our intention is not to cause harm, but to ensure security in online news publishing.” The hackers have claimed to have identified a security vulnerability in the Content Management System (CMS) developed by Quintype Technologies India Limited, which Prothom Alo uses, and exploited it to gain access.
The displayed message is as follows:
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Dear Matiur Rahman Sir and the Prothom Alo Team,
First, I want to clarify that I am not your enemy, nor do I intend to cause any harm to the resources of Prothom Alo, the most widely-read and trusted Bengali newspaper in the country.
However, I have found a significant security vulnerability in the Content Management System (CMS) developed by Quintype Technologies India Limited, which is used for your website’s online news publishing.
This vulnerability could be exploited by malicious individuals or entities to alter previously published news, edit existing information, or publish new false news, which could spread rumors among the public, misusing Prothom Alo’s credibility.
Therefore, I am issuing this warning to alert you. I am willing to cooperate with your technical team and executives to share all details of the security vulnerabilities and work together to fix them promptly. Please contact me at prothomalosecurityconcern@duck.com.
Sincerely,
A Well-Wisher of Prothom Alo
With the recent increase in cyberattacks worldwide, such incidents are becoming a matter of concern. The Prothom Alo authorities are working quickly to resolve the issue and are trying to ensure the safety of their users. Details of the incident are still unclear, and users are advised to stay cautious and await official updates from Prothom Alo.