Uber Suffers Massive Security Breach, Exposes Licenses & IRS Documents Of Nearly A Thousand Drivers

Uber Suffers Massive Security Breach, Exposes Licenses & IRS Documents Of Nearly A Thousand Drivers

Cab hailing app, Uber accidentally leaked personal details of hundreds of its drivers through a newly launched app. Social security numbers, scans of driver licenses, tax forms, and other data, online of hundreds of its drivers were leaked.

The data leak is linked to the company’s newly launched “Uber partner” app, “designed to give drivers more information so Uber works better for them”.

The design flaw in the app gave drivers more information about each other by allowing anyone access to nearly 1,000 sensitive scanned documents, including social security numbers, tax forms, insurance documents, driving licenses and taxi certification forms.

Uber drivers noticed the leak yesterday and began alerting others on Reddit and other forums.

One of the Uber driver partner said that he found number of documents loading itself on page refresh, while he was uploading one of his documents.

He added that there were lot of taxi certification forms and livery drivers licenses and W-9 forms with Social Security numbers for taxi cab companies.

The development was first reported by Gawker.

Uber however, commented that the data leak affected not more than 674 drivers in the US. The issue was though fixed under 30 minutes after the bug was reported.

Well this is not the first time, Uber has faced such issue, in May 2014, a hacker stole the company’s database containing the details of thousands of drivers, which were then posted to GitHub which was noticed by Uber in September.


Welcome to Flash Feed, your essential source for breaking news and innovation from around the web – bite-sized and updated all day.


Step up your startup journey with BHASKAR! From resources to networking, BHASKAR connects Indian innovators with everything they need to succeed. Join today to access a platform built for innovation, growth, and community.

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
UNLOCK 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
UNLOCK 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

Uber Suffers Massive Security Breach, Exposes Licenses & IRS Documents Of Nearly A Thousand Drivers-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

Uber Suffers Massive Security Breach, Exposes Licenses & IRS Documents Of Nearly A Thousand Drivers-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

Uber Suffers Massive Security Breach, Exposes Licenses & IRS Documents Of Nearly A Thousand Drivers-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

Uber Suffers Massive Security Breach, Exposes Licenses & IRS Documents Of Nearly A Thousand Drivers-Inc42 Media
Uber Suffers Massive Security Breach, Exposes Licenses & IRS Documents Of Nearly A Thousand Drivers-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company