Yandex data breach reveals source code littered with racist language | IT PRO
Yandex data breach reveals source code littered with racist language
Yandex source code for a range of key services was leaked to a popular hacker forum last week
by: Ross Kelly
30 Jan 2023
Yandex logo on a self-driving car
Getty Images
Russian tech company Yandex has issued an apology after racial slurs were discovered in source code leaked in a recent data breach.
Several references to racial slurs, including the ‘N-word’, were found in the company’s source code last week.
A researcher first revealed the use of offensive terminology in a series of posts on Twitter on 26 January, sparking heavy criticism.
In a statement, Yandex told IT Pro that an initial investigation showed that the leaked code "appears to be old fragments differing from the current version of the company’s repository".
The company added that leaked code "would never have affected any of the company’s services".
"We deeply regret that this word ever appeared in our internal codes," Yandex said. “It is unacceptable and a blatant violation of our corporate ethics."
"We are currently conducting an internal review to better understand how this happened, and will be taking appropriate measures, including to ensure that this does not happen again."
Yandex source code leak
The discovery follows a recent data breach at Yandex which saw 44.7 gigabytes of source code leaked on a popular online hacker site BreachForums.
Leaked files were found to contain code on a range of Yandex products. The company is one of Russia’s largest tech firms and provides email, advertising, cloud computing and online sales services.
Responding to the breach, Yandex insisted that its systems were not hacked, but attributed the leak to a former employee.
Yandex source code for a range of key services was leaked to a popular hacker forum last week
by: Ross Kelly
30 Jan 2023
Yandex logo on a self-driving car
Getty Images
Russian tech company Yandex has issued an apology after racial slurs were discovered in source code leaked in a recent data breach.
Several references to racial slurs, including the ‘N-word’, were found in the company’s source code last week.
A researcher first revealed the use of offensive terminology in a series of posts on Twitter on 26 January, sparking heavy criticism.
In a statement, Yandex told IT Pro that an initial investigation showed that the leaked code "appears to be old fragments differing from the current version of the company’s repository".
The company added that leaked code "would never have affected any of the company’s services".
"We deeply regret that this word ever appeared in our internal codes," Yandex said. “It is unacceptable and a blatant violation of our corporate ethics."
"We are currently conducting an internal review to better understand how this happened, and will be taking appropriate measures, including to ensure that this does not happen again."
Yandex source code leak
The discovery follows a recent data breach at Yandex which saw 44.7 gigabytes of source code leaked on a popular online hacker site BreachForums.
Leaked files were found to contain code on a range of Yandex products. The company is one of Russia’s largest tech firms and provides email, advertising, cloud computing and online sales services.
Responding to the breach, Yandex insisted that its systems were not hacked, but attributed the leak to a former employee.
