Several cases were reported last month when TeamViewer users complained that online hackers had accessed their accounts. The company reportedly suffered a data breach that exposed users' accounts and computers. TeamViewer officials continued to deny the hack over the weekend, stating that it happened because of users.
TeamViewer is the most popular remote desktop platform used for remote desktop use or for conducting online conferences through the presentation function. In many cases, these cybercriminals drain the PayPal and bank accounts of affected users, with the aim of making purchases ranging from designer clothes to gift cards.
At the same time, the TeamViewer network also suffered a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, but the company insisted that the incidents were unrelated.
An official TeamViewer spokesperson, Axel Schmidt, confirmed to ArsTechnica that a "significant" number of accounts have been compromised, but at this time, no firm picture can be given.
Additionally, hundreds of millions of hacked account details from MySpace, Tumblr, LinkedIn and other companies have been offered for sale online over the past two weeks.
TeamViewer said it was possible that passwords stolen in the "major-breaches" had also been used for TeamViewer accounts and helped cybercriminals gain access to users' computers.
The spokesman denied claims that the hack took place because attackers had managed to penetrate their network and steal usernames and passwords.
When asked if the hackers were able to bypass TeamViewer's two-factor authentication, he said there is "no evidence" that can prove that two-factor authentication has been compromised. Also, without user log files, which are not submitted by TeamViewer users, there is no way to verify these claims and discover the real cause of the attack.
While insisting that the incident was not TeamViewer's fault, the spokesperson apologized to users for the company's response to the initial reports.
TeamViewer wants to “apologize” to users who were offended by the company’s choice of words, and Schmidt says they “never intended to offend anyone.”
"It's really important to understand that TeamViewer is a tool that should be used wisely and extremely intelligently," he concluded.
