Etenders.gov.za Data Breach Exposes 65,000 Users' Information

In August 2024, the South African government's tendering platform, Etenders.gov.za, experienced a data breach that exposed sensitive information from approximately 65,000 users. The breach, publicly announced by the cybercriminal group IntelBroker on a popular hacking forum, has raised serious concerns about the security of government-managed data in South Africa. This incident has shed light on the vulnerabilities within the platform and has once again brought the issue of data security to the forefront.

Company Overview

Etenders.gov.za is an online platform operated by the South African government to facilitate the tendering process for public procurement. The site is designed to enable businesses, both local and international, to participate in bidding for government contracts, providing a streamlined and transparent way for the government to manage tenders. Given its importance in the public procurement process, the platform handles a significant amount of sensitive information, including details about companies, their representatives, and their financial transactions.

Breach Details

The breach was first reported on August 25, 2024, when IntelBroker posted a notice on a notorious hacking forum, stating that they had uploaded the Etenders.gov.za database for public download. According to the post, the breach occurred due to an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability, a common yet serious security flaw that allows unauthorized users to access data by simply manipulating URLs or other inputs.

The leaked data included:

• Company Name
• Company Type
• Region
• Contact Person
• Contact Number
• Email Address
• User ID