Twitter has identified a bug that stored users passwords unmasked in an internal log. While the company has already fixed the bug, and their own investigation shows no indication of breach or misuse by anyone, the company is advising all users to change their passwords.
An industry standard, Twitter masks passwords through a process called hashing using a function known as bcrypt, which replaces the actual password with a random set of numbers and letters that are stored in Twitter’s system. This allows systems to validate account credentials without revealing passwords.
Twiiter state:
Due to a bug, passwords were written to an internal log before completing the hashing process. We found this error ourselves, removed the passwords, and are implementing plans to prevent this bug from happening again
A few steps you can take to help keep your account safe:
- Change your password on Twitter and on any other service where you may have used the same password.
- Use a strong password that you don’t reuse on other websites.
- Enable login verification, also known as two factor authentication. This is the single best action you can take to increase your account security.
- Use a password manager to make sure you’re using strong, unique passwords everywhere.
