Information of more than 2,000 users was leaked, according to online community portal, Lowyat.net, which posted a screenshot of what appeared to be details of individuals who had signed up with the portal. A group of local hackers, known as the Rikeks Crew, exposed several vulnerabilities that allowed data to be remotely accessed. Signup details, usernames, email addresses and encrypted passwords were all vulnerable.
The security problems come after the 1Pengguna portal was overwhelmed by consumer traffic immediately after its 7 June launch. The Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry had predicted up to 400,000 hits in the first week of operation. Instead, the site recorded 3.5 million hits in the first two days alone.
The 1Pengguna portal, developed at a cost of US$460,000, is a unique price-watching service, allowing consumers to check and compare prices of products sold at 1,255 retail outlets acoss Malaysia. The products range from fresh produce to dried goods to toothpaste and soap.
The prices of products are monitored and updated daily by 1,200 price watch officers from the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism ministry.
The portal also allows consumers to file complaints with the Malaysian Consumer Claims Tribunal through a direct link.
