Description

PayPal has disclosed a data breach affecting customer accounts after attackers leveraged compromised credentials to gain unauthorized access. The incident did not stem from a vulnerability within PayPal’s infrastructure but rather from credential stuffing activity using previously leaked usernames and passwords. As a result, certain user accounts were accessed without authorization, potentially exposing sensitive account information. The attackers used automated credential stuffing techniques, testing stolen username-password combinations obtained from prior third-party breaches against PayPal login portals. Because many users reuse passwords across multiple platforms, some login attempts were successful. Once inside affected accounts, threat actors could access personal details such as names, addresses, transaction history, and possibly limited financial information. PayPal identified suspicious login patterns and implemented mitigation steps, including invalidating compromised credentials and requiring password resets. The company stated there was no evidence of direct compromise of its core systems. However, the incident highlights the ongoing risk posed by password reuse and automated bot-driven attacks targeting high-value financial platforms. Enhanced monitoring and anomaly detection helped limit the scope of the breach.