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Check for compromised LinkedIn s using LeakedIn web app

Check for compromised LinkedIn s using LeakedIn web app 223r46

By Gurman Bhatia | Updated: 7 June 2012 21:14 IST

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Reports of 6.5 million LinkedIn hashes being leaked for certain s went out this Wednesday. s are both concerned and apprehensive about the fact that whether they are a victim as well.

With the amount of personal and professional information available on this platform, the growing concern led 'LeakedIn' to emerge. A New York based web developer has come out with a web app 'LeakedIn' that allows s to check whether their LinkedIn has been compromised. All one needs to do, is enter their in a dialog box and it then converts it into its corresponding cryptographic representation using the SHA-1 algorithm, which was stored by LinkedIn. Matching your hash with the leaked hashes, it tells you whether your has been comprised or not. It does that conversion in the browser using JavaScript and does not transmit the elsewhere, wrote one of LeakedIn's developers, Chris Shiflett, on his blog.

The issue in hand is the fact that whether the leaked s has been 'cracked' as well. Not all of the hashes in the list have been converted to original s yet, but hackers are likely to be working on it. The number of characters in your would determine the amount of time the 'cracking' would require.

This massive leak of s is an effect of LinkedIn using unsalted hashes. Salting is a process that involves inserting random characters into the hash that make it more difficult for people trying a brute-force attack.

LinkedIn on its official blog has responded to the fears mentioning customer security as its primary concern and stating that all the s whose s have been compromised would soon receive an email asking them for a reset. These emails will not have direct links for reset, but will include a multi-step process to the . LinkedIn also states that it would now be working on 'salting' its hashes. This enormous breach has brought extreme disappointment amidst the s.

Editor's note: You should change your LinkedIn before you use LeakedIn and then enter your old to see if your was leaked. We do not recommend sharing your current LinkedIn (or any other) with any third-party website.

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