Hackers make off with TripAdvisor's membership list

Can't recommend it

Travel site TripAdvisor has warned subscribers to expect more spam following the theft of its member database.

The travel review and information website said that an unspecified vulnerability allowed miscreants to make off with a portion of its email database. TripAdvisor does not collect members' credit card or financial information, and no passwords were obtained as a result of the breach.

TripAdvisor has promised to tighten up its security in the wake of the incident, which is under investigation internally. The US-based website, which serves an international client base, has also reported the matter to police.

Subscribers were notified of the breach by email, a copy of which was passed onto El Reg. An FAQ on the security SNAFU can also be found on TripAdvisor's website here.

The incident comes days after ne'er-do-wells got their hands on the Play.com email list, sending targets links to a supposed Adobe software update that actually served up malware. Play.com blamed the incident on its email marketing associate, Silverpop.

No malware campaigns have been seen off the back of the TripAdvisor breach but the Play.com incident does serve to illustrate what mischief might be possible when email marketing lists become exposed. ®