Hilton Awards Program Flaw Exposed All Accounts

Hilton Awards Program Flaw Exposed All Accounts

  • By Matt Holden
  • Mar 24, 2015

A recent offer from the Hilton HHonors program to give members 1,000 free points for agreeing to change their passwords led to the discovery of a flaw in the site that could let anyone hijack a Hilton Honors account simply by guessing the 9-digit account number.

Brandon Potter and JB Snyder of the security firm Bancsec discovered the flaw once they realized they could steal other accounts by knowing the account number. It only took a small amount of changes to the HTML content.

Once inside the accounts, a hacker could change the password, view past and upcoming travel, redeem points for travel and hotel reservations, and even have points sent as cash or prepaid cards to another account.

“Hilton Worldwide recently confirmed a vulnerability on a section of our Hilton HHonors website, and we took immediate action to remediate the vulnerability,” Hilton wrote in an emailed statement. “As always, we encourage Hilton HHonors members to review their accounts and update their online passwords regularly as a precaution. Hilton Worldwide takes information security very seriously and we are committed to safeguarding our guests’ personal information.”

Snyder attributes the flaw to a web application weakness called a cross-site request forgery (CSRF), which is when an attack occurs on a user’s computer causing the web browser to perform unwanted actions on a trusted site.

This flaw not only exposed account information related to Hilton, but personal information as well, such as email and physical addresses and the last four digits of any credit card on file.

“If they have so much personal information on people, they should be required to do Web application testing before publishing changes to the internet,” Snyder said. “Especially if they have millions of users like I’m sure they do.”

About the Author

Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.

Featured

  • 2025 Gun Violence Statistics Show Signs of Progress

    Omnilert, a national leader in AI-powered safety and emergency communications, has released its 2025 Gun Violence Statistics, along with a new interactive infographic examining national and school-related gun violence trends. In 2025, the U.S. recorded 38,762 gun-violence deaths, highlighting the continued importance of prevention, early detection, and coordinated response. Read Now

  • Big Brand Tire & Service Rolls Out Interface Virtual Perimeter Guard

    Interface Systems, a managed service provider delivering remote video monitoring, commercial security systems, business intelligence, and network services for multi-location enterprises, today announced that Big Brand Tire & Service, one of the nation’s fastest-growing independent tire and automotive service providers, has eliminated costly overnight break-ins and significantly reduced trespassing and vandalism at a high-risk location. The company achieved these results by deploying Interface Virtual Perimeter Guard, an AI-powered perimeter security solution designed to deter incidents before they occur. Read Now

  • The Evolution of ID Card Printing: Customer Challenges and Solutions

    The landscape of ID card printing is evolving to meet changing customer needs, transitioning from slow, manual processes to smart, on-demand printing solutions that address increasingly complex enrollment workflows. Read Now

  • TSA Awards Rohde & Schwarz Contract for Advanced Airport Screening Ahead of Soccer World Cup 2026

    Rohde & Schwarz, a provider of AI-based millimeter wave screening technology, announced today it has won a multi-million dollar award from TSA to supply its QPS201 AIT security scanners to passenger security screening checkpoints at selected Soccer World Cup 2026 host city airports. Read Now

  • Brivo, Eagle Eye Networks Merge

    Dean Drako, Chairman of Brivo, the leading global provider of cloud-native access control and smart space technologies, and Founder of Eagle Eye Networks, the global leader in cloud AI video surveillance, today announced the two companies will merge, creating the world’s largest AI cloud-native physical security company. The merged company will operate under the Brivo name and deliver a truly unified cloud-native security platform. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.