Recent reports revealed that a well-known dark web marketplace, Versus Market, had shut down its operations after a hacker and its operators found a critical flaw. The discovered critical flaw could have exposed the marketplace’s server IP addresses and allowed unauthorised access to their internal database.
Cybercriminals and darknet vendors are keen on protecting their identification, cyber footprints, and physical assets from security researchers and law enforcement authorities. A single mistake could put their entire operations and infrastructure at risk.
This risk had forced the Versus Market to shut down its operations after a hacker leaked a vulnerability that could allow others to access their system.
The Versus darknet marketplace was established three years ago and offered several services to the cybercrime community, including illegal drugs, hacking services, stolen databases and banking cards, and coin mixing.
However, a hacker had found a flaw in the marketplace’s infrastructure and had a chance to leak it. The flaw includes Versus Market’s PoC on accessing their server’s file system on a darknet social media platform called Dread.
Upon learning about this issue, the marketplace went offline to perform an internal security audit. Clients became worried since Versus could have conducted an exit scam, was seized by authorities, or any other theories that led to their sudden silence.
After a while, the operators of Versus returned to announce suspending their business. From a message posted by a member, they explained that a leaked vulnerability had exposed their system to unauthorised access, including a server’s potential IP leak and a six-month-old copy of their entire database.
Furthermore, the member added that after a time of deliberation, the Versus Market team decided to stop their operations to mitigate the risks posed by the leak. Moreover, their clients are relieved after being assured that their escrow balances would be given enough time to be retrieved, erasing the exit scam assumptions.
In March and July 2020, the Versus Market also suffered from IP leaks and BTC theft. The setback only pushed them to become a larger platform that offers its clients outstanding cybercriminal services.
Nonetheless, this recent security leak had put an eventual stop to their operations, considering the significant risks it could further pose to their members and entire infrastructure.
