In a plot twist for concert-goers, hackers have leaked nearly 39,000 print-at-home ticket barcodes for upcoming events on Ticketmaster. This extortion campaign, targeting Ticketmaster, could also wreak havoc on event attendees and the event itself.
The hackers, known as Sp1d3rHunters, claim these leaked tickets bypass Ticketmaster’s anti-fraud measures because they’re printable versions, not scannable mobile barcodes. This could create a denial-of-service (DoS) situation at events.
Imagine hundreds of fans showing up with seemingly legitimate tickets, only to be denied entry because of duplicates or fraudulent copies in circulation. Or the event having more people with tickets than they have capacity for.
Ticketmaster has yet to comment on how they’ll address this leak. While they maintain their security features can prevent these leaks from working, the situation remains tense. Concertgoers are advised to be cautious and only purchase tickets from reputable sources. This incident highlights the vulnerability of ticketing systems and the potential for large-scale disruption impacting both event organizers and fans.