Honda’s e-commerce platform for power equipment, marine, and lawn & garden products recently experienced a significant security breach. This breach left the platform vulnerable to unauthorized access due to flaws in its API, allowing anyone to reset passwords for any account. While this breach only impacted Honda’s power equipment division, it is still a cause for concern for individuals operating within sectors like retail, healthcare, professional services, and financial services, where IT is vital but not the primary focus.
The security gap in Honda’s systems was discovered by security researcher Eaton Zveare, who had also breached Toyota’s supplier portal a few months ago using similar vulnerabilities. In Honda’s case, Zveare exploited a password reset API to reset the password of valuable accounts, granting him unrestricted admin-level data access on the company’s network. This flaw in Honda’s e-commerce platform allowed access to all data on the platform, even when logged in as a test account.
The exposed information included customer orders, dealer websites, dealer users/accounts, dealer and customer emails, potentially sensitive financial reports, and private keys for payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net. This data could be used for launching phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, or sold on hacker forums and dark web markets. Additionally, attackers could plant credit card skimmers or other malicious JavaScript snippets on the dealer sites.
The API flaw that enabled this breach existed in Honda’s e-commerce platform, specifically in the Power Equipment Tech Express (PETE) site, which assigns “powerdealer.honda.com” subdomains to registered resellers/dealers. The password reset API on PETE processed reset requests without requiring a token or the previous password, only a valid email. Although this vulnerability was not present on the e-commerce subdomains login portal, the credentials obtained through PETE still granted access to internal dealership data on those subdomains.
To gain access to real dealer information, Zveare leveraged a second vulnerability: the sequential assignment of user IDs and the lack of access protections. By incrementing the user ID by one, Zveare could access the data panels of all Honda dealers. This flaw could have also been exploited by registered dealers to access other dealers’ data, including their orders and customer details.
The final step of the breach involved accessing Honda’s admin panel, the central control point for the company’s e-commerce platform. By modifying an HTTP response to appear as an admin, Zveare gained unlimited access to the Honda Dealer Sites platform.
This breach highlights the critical importance of dependable IT support and daily IT infrastructure management. Businesses operating in sectors where IT is not the primary focus must prioritize the security of their systems to prevent devastating breaches like the one Honda experienced. It also underscores the need for a comprehensive information security program and a deep understanding of complex compliance rules to ensure compliance and protect sensitive data.
Working with cybersecurity service providers can help businesses achieve their goals of improving operational efficiency, enhancing security, and ensuring compliance. These providers can offer services such as vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, network monitoring, incident response, and training programs to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices.
By partnering with a trusted cybersecurity service provider, businesses can offload the increasingly complex IT and compliance requirements to experts, allowing them to concentrate on their core operations rather than IT issues. Trust, accountability, and results are crucial factors to consider when choosing a provider. It is essential to make decisions based on data, perceived value, and the reputation of the provider.
In conclusion, the recent breach in Honda’s e-commerce platform serves as a stark reminder of the cybersecurity threats faced by businesses in various sectors. It highlights the need for dependable IT support, daily IT infrastructure management, and a comprehensive information security program. By partnering with cybersecurity service providers, businesses can enhance their security, improve operational efficiency, ensure compliance, and focus more on their core operations. It’s crucial to prioritize trust, accountability, and results when choosing a provider.
To stay safe online, businesses and individuals must be proactive in protecting themselves from cybersecurity threats. It is essential to regularly update software and systems, use strong and unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and educate employees about phishing and other social engineering techniques. By adopting these practices and exploring additional ways to protect themselves on the internet, businesses can minimize the risks posed by cybercriminals.
Sources:
1. [Honda’s e-commerce platform vulnerable to data theft](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/honda-s-e-commerce-platform-vulnerable-to-data-theft/)
2. [Honda power-equipment e-commerce platform data breach](https://eaton-works.com/honda-power-equipment-ecommerce-platform-data-breach/)
3. [Toyota supplier portal breach](https://eaton-works.com/toyota-supplier-portal-data-breach/)
