Comic CMOA brings back selected features after unauthorized server access
NTT Solmare announced on Thursday that Comic CMOA had partially reopened after almost two weeks of maintenance following unauthorized external access. Members must reset their passwords to use the restored features.
The restored features let Comic CMOA members read purchased works and use the unlimited reading service through a web browser. Members can also change their account information and request cancellation of registered monthly plans or unlimited reading subscriptions.
The bookshelf feature is due to return soon. Purchases of works and points will reopen progressively by payment method. Automatic purchases of new releases, account cancellation, new member registration, and access to points, purchase, and monthly subscription histories remain unavailable.
NTT Solmare advised users to watch for suspicious emails and other communications. It also asked anyone who reused the same email address and password combination on another service to change that service's password.
Members outside Japan still cannot access the website because it restricts connections from abroad and through a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The company's latest announcement did not address these restrictions.
Comic CMOA began emergency maintenance on October 15. An update that evening said unauthorized external access to its servers was highly likely. The next day, the service confirmed the intrusion and a leak of information belonging to some members. The exposed information includes email addresses, dates of birth, gender, nicknames, and hashed passwords—passwords converted into special character strings that make them unreadable.
On October 18, NTT Solmare said it had identified the cause of the unauthorized access and was working with specialized organizations to implement preventive measures and prepare to restore services. It said further steps to strengthen security were necessary before service could resume.
The service subsequently confirmed that certain system log files had also been accessed and retrieved, in addition to the previously reported information leak. An October 21 update put the number of affected entries in those files at approximately 4.2 million. The entries include email addresses, nicknames, dates of birth, and gender, and may contain duplicate information for the same customer. The service also confirmed that 319 items of registration information from its member database had leaked.
NTT Solmare said members' credit card information is not stored in the affected system and had not leaked. As of its updates, no leak or damage had been confirmed involving purchase histories or data in members' "My Bookshelf" section.
Source: NTT Solmare
