The 2017 Equifax breach exposed the data of 147.9 million people through an unpatched Apache Struts vulnerability and remains one of the most damaging breaches ever.
Key facts
- Occurred in 2017 and affected 147.9 million people.
- Caused by failure to patch a known Apache Struts vulnerability (CVE-2017-5638).
- Exposed Social Security numbers and financial data, making it catastrophic per record.
- Total costs reportedly reached around 1.38 billion dollars.
The lesson
Equifax is the definitive case for timely patching: a single unpatched, known CVE caused immense, lasting harm.
How DarkThreatX helps
DarkThreatX monitors the dark web for breached records, leaked credentials and exposed data tied to your organisation, so you can detect exposure early. Run a free dark web scan or explore the platform.
