Ethical Hacking News
McDonald's has been left red-faced after a white-hat hacker discovered critical security flaws in its staff and partner portals, leaving employees' sensitive data vulnerable to exploitation. The company was slow to respond to the issue, leading some to wonder if it truly values its customers' trust.
A white-hat hacker exposed critical security flaws in McDonald's staff and partner portals. The vulnerabilities allowed anyone to order free food online, gain admin rights, and potentially access corporate email accounts. Mcdonald's did not have a valid security.txt file, making it harder for security researchers to report the issue. The company acknowledged and addressed the problem after three months, but with a half-hearted solution. A faulty OAuth implementation made McDonald's staff portals vulnerable to exploitation. Lowly crew members could access executive portals, exposing corporate documents. This incident highlights the importance of prioritizing cybersecurity in organizations. Ongoing security lapses in various businesses demonstrate a concerning disregard for employee safety and data protection.
In a shocking revelation that has left many in the cybersecurity community reeling, a white-hat hacker known by her handle "Bobdahacker" has exposed a series of critical security flaws in McDonald's staff and partner portals. The discovery was made after Bobdahacker noticed something amiss with the company's online delivery app, which only ran client-side security checks when looking up an account's credit points, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation.
The hack, which took place over several months, allowed anyone to order free food online, gain admin rights to McDonald's marketing materials, and potentially access corporate email accounts for malicious purposes. The severity of the breach was compounded by the fact that McDonald's did not have a valid security.txt file, a document that defines the process an organization uses to share news of vulnerabilities with security researchers.
Despite Bobdahacker's initial attempts to bring this issue to McDonald's attention, it took three months for the company to acknowledge and address the problem. Even then, the solution was somewhat half-hearted, as it only involved setting up proper logins without addressing other critical vulnerabilities in the system.
Furthermore, an examination of the JavaScript code used by the MagicBell API key and Secret for authentication revealed a glaring security failure that allowed Bobdahacker to see every user in the system and create various types of mischief. This was not an isolated incident, as McDonald's staff portals were also found to be vulnerable to exploitation due to a faulty OAuth implementation.
The situation took a further turn when it was discovered that lowly crew members could access executive portals, exposing supposedly secret corporate documents. A friend working at McDonald's helped with the research but was subsequently fired over "security concerns from corporate" after Bobdahacker informed the company about the flaws.
This incident highlights the critical importance of cybersecurity in organizations, particularly those in high-profile industries like fast food. The lack of attention to security protocols and the subsequent breach demonstrate a concerning disregard for employee safety and data protection.
It is also worth noting that this was not an isolated incident, as other businesses have faced similar security lapses in recent months. Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant featured in an episode of South Park, has also been found to have leaked sensitive information due to inadequate security measures.
In the wake of this revelation, it is essential for organizations to prioritize cybersecurity and take proactive steps to protect their employees, customers, and data. This includes implementing robust security protocols, engaging with security researchers to identify vulnerabilities, and providing adequate training for employees on security best practices.
The incident also serves as a reminder that even seemingly minor security flaws can have catastrophic consequences when exploited by malicious actors. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for organizations to stay vigilant and proactive in their approach to cybersecurity.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/McDonalds-Security-Fiasco-A-Recipe-for-Disaster-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/08/20/mcdonalds_terrible_security/
Published: Wed Aug 20 03:10:14 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
