Forums > Site Announcements > Admin account compromised - please update your password

This morning, I woke up to find that I couldn't log into my account. I checked possible causes and found that someone managed to take control of my account, changed the password and name, and (for some reason) updated pickhut's Mighty No. 9 review so that a different author's name was attached and it was posted as a staff review (along with an addendum at the top, attributed to the interloper).

I don't know what the motivation was, but I've changed the password and have access to my account once more. As far as I can tell, I have undone the mischief that was done while that other individual had access to my account, but there may still be some oddness around the site, so I would encourage everyone to take a quick look around their own contributions--especially if you've been active recently--and to change your account password.

As a reminder, it's also a good idea to make sure that you're not using the same password on multiple sites. If your HonestGamers account is in use elsewhere, I recommend changing your account password at those other sites. To be clear, I do not believe that any account passwords other than mine were accessed, but I would rather none of you take any chances. I am posting this message on both my blog and as an announcement on the site forums.

I hope that this will be the last such breach, but the reality of the Internet is that any account on any site can be compromised without warning. I had not imagined that my account was a tempting enough target for someone to go through whatever trouble was required, but I was wrong. Don't make the same mistake!

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Well, that sucks. I know it's not saying much, but it's a good thing other significant things on the site weren't tampered with.

I head spaceshit noises.

Please note that issues remain. Changing my account password has not prevented continued access, either through a spoofed account on the site or through potential access to the database back end. I do not know what access the person(s) responsible may have, or how that access was gained. Though I am doing anything that I can think of to eliminate that access and make it more difficult to gain in the future, that's an involved process and you will likely continue to see irregularities for at least a day or two (and possibly much longer) until I can determine the full extent of things.

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

I wonder if HG patrons reused their password across multiple sites?

hey

I would imagine a few did. I know it's difficult to set up and remember a different password for every site a person might use online, so the temptation is always there.

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Hello honestgamers, very long time no see. I came to report that the site's email database has been compromised, but, upon seeing this thread, I'm betting December is when it actually happened. I suppose I'll update this password six months later, lol. Don't worry, it's unique. However, I don't recall getting an email notice of December's breach, though that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Edit: whoops, didn't see the first post's 2016 date. That was a long time ago. Well, in any case, I haven't noticed spam going to my tokenized email address until recently.

Thanks for letting me know about the recent issues you've encountered with spam. I'll look into the matter as part of my ongoing effort to make the site more secure and efficient. I hope we'll see you around here more regularly, for happier reasons.

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2