Elsevier platform briefly redirected to LAPSUS$ leak site

Academic publishing giant Elsevier confirmed a brief compromise this week after students discovered its platform was redirecting users to a cybercriminal crew's leak page. The incident, which occurred on Monday, September 21, was quickly resolved by Elsevier's cybersecurity team, with further coverage provided by The Register.

The attack involved visitors to select Elsevier platforms being temporarily redirected to a third-party page, which was later identified as belonging to the LAPSUS$ cybercriminal group. A Reddit user first highlighted the issue on September 22, posting a screenshot of the LAPSUS$ leak site after attempting to access academic materials.

Elsevier stated that its investigation indicated a narrowly scoped, limited-duration event with no indication of compromise to core platforms, customer data, research content, or operational systems. LAPSUS$ is known for high-profile cyberattacks, including those against Rockstar Games, Adidas, and GitHub.

Source: The Register