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With event ticketing moving online, it has driven a new frontier of fraud where hackers and scammers can manipulate people’s once-in-a-lifetime events for their own personal gain. Such was the case when a hacking group leaked tens of thousands of Ticketmaster tickets online, essentially rendering them void.
What Happened to Ticketmaster?
Ticketmaster sells tickets to big events, controlling ticketing rights to thousands of the biggest venues worldwide. Its big status and how much money one ticket can go for, it’s often a target for scammers and hackers. There are plenty ofTicketmaster scamsout there, and concertgoers have had toexercise caution when buying online.
This time, however, it’s not the consumers getting scammed. As reported byBleeping Computer, Ticketmaster is undergoing a digital battle against hacking group Sp1derHunters, which is trying to extort the company. The hacker gets into Ticketmaster’s databases, steals ticket data, and then threatens to leak them unless Ticketmaster pays up.
Sp1derHunters previously upped the ante by leaking 166,000 Taylor Swift ticket barcodes, claiming they’d leak even more unless Ticketmaster pays them $2 million. Ticketmaster responded by saying that leaked digital tickets are useless because the ticket barcodes rotate. Since then, social media sites like Facebook and X have been flooded with posts offering scam tickets for Taylor Swift’s ongoing Era’s Tour.
With so many folks desperate to see Swift and pay over the odds, it’s a numbers game; more posts mean more chance of a bite. As you can see from the image below, there is an almost constant stream of bot posts advertising Taylor Swift tickets, all using the same language.
What Are Rotating Barcodes?
These rotating barcodes are key to understanding the battle between Ticketmaster and Sp1derHunters. A rotating barcode looks just like a regular one but changes appearance every few minutes.
When the barcode is scanned, the system checks to see if it’s the most recent version. If it is, the system accepts it; if it’s an older version, it rejects it. It’s like thetwo-factor authentication (2FA)method of entering a generated code; you must input the most recent code, or you can’t get in.
This is why Ticketmaster didn’t flinch when Sp1derHunters stated that they would leak the digital tickets. Leaking old 2FA codes would have the same effect; by the time they’ve been leaked, they’ve already expired. Meanwhile, the rightful ticket holders still have the rotating barcode, meaning they can still go to their booked show.
Why the Ticketmaster Leak Became an Issue
So, if Spi1derHunters has a database of useless barcodes, what’s the problem? As it turns out, they also stole printable ticket data, too. These are tickets you print off at home and—due to their non-digital nature—cannot be rotated. This means that Sp1derHunters did have legitimate tickets they could leak out for others to take.
When a ticket is copied, the system will only allow one ticket to enter the event. Usually, this is the person who manages to get to the ticket booth first. As such, if a hacker manages to copy your ticket and give it to someone who gets there before you do, they’ll be let in, and you’ll be stuck outside.
Fortunately, Ticketmaster had a line of defense for this kind of leak, albeit it’s less ideal than a rotating barcode. The company can instead void every ticket that was leaked, so if someone tries to gain access, they’ll be unsuccessful. Then, they can send out a brand new ticket to everyone who bought one.
How to Know If Your Ticketmaster Ticket Is Affected
So, how do you know if the printable ticket you bought is still good? Fortunately, Ticketmaster is sending out an email to everyone who was affected by the attacks. As such, check the email you use to sign in to Ticketmaster; if you don’t see the email, you should be fine. If you do, scrap your old ticket and grab the new one; your old ticket will now be void and cannot be used for entry.
With Ticketmaster’s huge influence in the concert and event scene, it’s often the target of cyberattacks. If you’ve booked a printable ticket in the last few months for an event that’s yet to happen, it’s worth double-checking to see if you’ve been issued a new one. Otherwise, you may be left out without a hope of getting in.
