A December 2014 report described two separate AliExpress security flaws: one could put sellers’ sessions at risk through malicious code in buyer-to-supplier messages, while the other could expose buyers’ order shipping details through a URL parameter. Alibaba said at the time that it had closed both potential vulnerabilities; the available reporting does not independently verify the fixes or establish AliExpress’ current security status.
What the 2014 report said
SecurityWeek reported on December 11, 2014, that researchers had identified two weaknesses on AliExpress, Alibaba’s online marketplace. They affected different parts of the service and posed different risks: one involved how supplier message content was displayed, and the other involved authorization for buyers’ order information.
The report gave a historical scale figure of 7.7 million AliExpress users in more than 200 countries and regions, based on figures reported as of July 2013. That is not a current user count. SecurityWeek’s account of the incident did not establish how many accounts, if any, were actually compromised.
How the flaws differed
| Flaw | Attack surface and affected party | Reported potential consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-site scripting (XSS) | Buyer-to-supplier message form; supplier or seller viewing a message | Malicious code could run in the seller’s browser, potentially enabling phishing, session ID theft, actions on the seller’s behalf, or store takeover. |
| Insecure direct object reference (IDOR) | Order shipping details accessed through a URL parameter; buyer | Changing a URL parameter could expose the buyer’s name, address, and contact information. |
Seller-facing risk: message-form XSS
Barak Tawily of AppSec Labs found the XSS weakness in the form buyers used to message suppliers. As described by SecurityWeek, an attacker could place malicious code in a message; when a supplier opened it, the code could execute in the supplier’s browser. The possible consequences included phishing, stealing the seller’s session ID, carrying out actions as the seller, and potentially taking over a store. These were described as possible outcomes, not confirmed incidents.
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Buyer-facing risk: order-detail IDOR
Amitay Dan of Cybermoon found a separate issue in the way AliExpress handled access to buyer order shipping details. According to SecurityWeek, changing a URL parameter could reveal a buyer’s name, address, and contact information. The report did not say that credit-card details were exposed; its stated data exposure was shipping information.
What Alibaba said—and what remains unverified
Alibaba told SecurityWeek by email that it had taken immediate steps to assess and remedy the situation and had closed the “potential vulnerabilities.” The company also said, “The security and privacy of our customers is our highest priority.” These are Alibaba’s contemporaneous statements as quoted in the December 11, 2014 report, not independent validation that the fixes worked.
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The reviewed reporting does not establish confirmed exploitation, a number of affected accounts, or independent post-fix testing. It also does not establish whether AliExpress’ current security controls are affected by either historic flaw. The incident should therefore be understood as a 2014 report, not as evidence of a newly announced breach or a present-day vulnerability.
What account holders can do
Alibaba.com’s general account-stolen guidance identifies phishing or spoof messages, reused passwords, and malware on a computer or mobile device as common routes to account theft. Its advice is general account-safety guidance; it does not fix or verify remediation of the historic AliExpress application flaws.
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- Avoid suspicious login links and messages that request credentials.
- Use a distinct password for each account rather than reusing credentials.
- If compromise is suspected, run an antivirus check, change the marketplace password and the password for the registered email account, and review listings, inquiries, and account settings.
These steps can address common account-compromise risks, but they should not be treated as proof that a website-level flaw has been fixed. Alibaba.com’s guidance is available at Account Stolen.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reporting a security vulnerability to Alibaba
Alibaba’s Security Response Center asks vulnerability reporters to provide a description, proof, and proposed remediation, and asks that unresolved issues not be disclosed publicly. Its June 6, 2024 notice says subsequent vulnerability submissions should go to Xianzhi. Because reporting routes can change, researchers should check the Security Response Center reporting page and its migration notice for the current submission route before sending a report.
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