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TikTok says its security team is addressing an issue that allowed hackers to compromise several high-profile celeb and brand accounts on its video platform, including those belonging to Paris Hilton, CNN and Sony. The ByteDance-owned video app maker didn\u2019t provide any information about the nature of the attack or the company\u2019s mitigation techniques, instead saying only that it had taken measures to stop the attack and prevent it from happening in the future.<\/p>\n
The malicious attack, as reported earlier by Semafor<\/a> and Forbes<\/a>, appears to have involved malware transmitted through TikTok\u2019s DMs (direct messages) and may have affected the account owners\u2019 ability to access their TikTok profiles. The hacker\u2019s goals were not immediately clear, as none of the affected accounts had begun to post content. According to Semafor, CNN\u2019s account was broken into by a hacker last week, requiring the account to be taken down for several days. The news organization said it was working with TikTok on additional measures to ensure the account remained safe in the days ahead, including during the U.S. presidential elections.<\/p>\n Reached for comment, TikTok declined to share more details about the nature of the attack or its countermeasures, so as not to \u201ctip off\u201d potential malicious actors.<\/p>\n \u201cOur security team is aware of a potential exploit targeting a number of high-profile accounts,\u201d a company spokesperson said. \u201cWe have taken measures to stop this attack and prevent it from happening in the future. We\u2019re working directly with affected account owners to restore access, if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n The attacks arrive at a time when TikTok\u2019s influence in the U.S. is under question. Citing national security concerns, President Biden in April signed the bill that will force TikTok\u2019s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the app<\/a> or be banned from operating in the U.S. If ByteDance doesn\u2019t sell, it will become illegal for app stores to distribute TikTok when the law goes into effect.<\/p>\n TikTok has since sued the U.S. government over the law,<\/a> which will tie up the case in courts for many months to come. In the meantime, one of TikTok\u2019s earlier critics, Donald Trump \u2014 the first president to try to ban the app in the U.S. \u2014 has now taken to the app to campaign. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n