{"id":51544,"date":"2016-07-26T10:47:09","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T17:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=51544"},"modified":"2025-08-31T22:17:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T05:17:03","slug":"ourmine-broke-minecraft-accounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/ourmine-broke-minecraft-accounts\/","title":{"rendered":"OurMine is at it Again! How They Broke in to MineCraft Accounts"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Gamers are one of the largest communities on the internet. YouTube\u2019s most subscribed channel<\/a> caters to players, 100 million of them<\/a> watch gameplay streaming on Twitch.tv every month, and Pok\u00e9mon Go has just conquered the world. But this robust online presence has also sparked interest from another group: cybercriminals.<\/p>\n

Recently, the computer game Minecraft was hacked<\/a>. This attack was conducted by OurMine Team, the same group responsible for penetrating into Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s Twitter account<\/a> and shutting down the Pok\u00e9mon Go servers<\/a>. Given their public proclamations after each incident, it\u2019s likely this foray into Minecraft was, in part, motivated by an increase in attention.<\/p>\n

The exploit was first announced on OurMine Team’s website<\/a>. There, a video showcases them cracking into user accounts of Mojang, the company behind PC and Mac versions of the game. The most disturbing fact, however, was that the perpetrators only needed the victim\u2019s email address to gain entry. By getting their hands on website cookies<\/a>, the crooks got all the other necessary information to tap into the account.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a bold claim, but unfortunately, it\u2019s backed by truth. Those claims were verified by IDG news service, who contacted the cybercriminal group<\/a>. After IDG created a new user account, the group entered and renamed the profile \u201cOurMine Team.\u201d Despite their attention-grabbing tactics and intentions, the rogues aren\u2019t bluffing.<\/p>\n

On the whole, however, many of OurMine Team\u2019s claims fall apart under scrutiny. They assert to be a firm concerned with raising cybersecurity awareness<\/a>, merely testing companies\u2019 and celebrities\u2019 security. Supposedly, that\u2019s why they broke into many CEOs\u2019 Twitter accounts and attacked games like Pok\u00e9mon Go and Minecraft. In fact, there\u2019s actually a financial motive: OurMine offers website scans for $1,000 and company audits for $5,000. This makes their actions blackmail, and a means of unusual advertising.<\/p>\n

Motivated by gaining notoriety, OurMine Team was attracted to Minecraft\u2019s popularity. While they didn\u2019t go after players this time, this situation could have easily turned out worse. Over 21 million people have purchased Minecraft, and 1 million players are active<\/a> at any given moment. That\u2019s a lot of gamers who could\u2019ve been compromised\u2014simply from their email address.<\/p>\n

How to Avoid Threats<\/h2>\n

Keep yourself safe from these types of threats, by following these steps:<\/p>\n