If you’ve bought a Framework PC, you’ll want to keep an eye out for identity thieves. The modular computer maker informed all its customers on August 6 that a data breach compromised their sensitive information.
An August 3 attack on Metabase, Framework’s database provider, accessed personal data like names, home addresses, emails, phone numbers, and login IPs. The intruders didn’t obtain payment information like credit cards, but this could still help fraudsters impersonate or track you. Be sure to watch out for account login attempts and targeted phishing scams.
Metabase says the perpetrators exploited an SQL-oriented zero-day vulnerability that has since been fixed. Framework has also altered credentials after receiving word of the breach, and reports no access to systems beyond Metabase. There were also no changes to administrator-level control.
Framework is “reviewing and improving” its approach to external data storage, the brand explains in its email to customers.
It’s not clear who the culprits are, or how many people have been affected. Metabase tells Framework it’s working with a third-party investigator to “understand the full nature and scope” of the attack.
Framework’s bad situation just got worse
Memory prices have burned it more than some PC makers
Credit: Andrew Heinzman/How-To Geek
The data breach compounds an already difficult moment for Framework. The company raised prices twice this year to account for surging RAM prices. Soon after it accepted initial preorders for its high-end Laptop 13 Pro, it told some advance buyers that it would include less memory in their configurations and would offer refunds if they weren’t satisfied.
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Many computer brands have increased prices, including Apple, Asus, Dell, and Lenovo. However, many of the larger companies have delayed or minimized price hikes by chewing through existing inventory or buying components in bulk. Framework doesn’t have that luxury as a small firm that ships PCs in batches: if RAM or SSD prices spike, it has to deal with the consequences very quickly.
The security incident won’t necessarily lead fans to balk given the transparency and quick fix. However, it risks shaking customer trust just as Framework is trying to restore confidence. It might be that much harder for Framework to attract buyers, no matter how good its product lineup and prices might be.