ASOS App Users Receive Push Notifications Apparently Sent by Hackers

ASOS customers across the UK have reported receiving a highly unusual message through the company's app that appears to have been sent by hackers attempting to pressure the retailer into negotiations.

Dozens of people have reportedly received the unexpected notification on their phones.

The message, addressed directly to ASOS's data protection officer and IT team, claims:

"Dear ASOS DPO and IT, we have fully compromised the Snowflake instance. Engage with us, or we will leak it."

The authenticity and full implications of the message have not yet been independently established.

ASOS had not immediately responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.

Customers receive apparent ransom message

The unusual notification has prompted confusion among ASOS users, with people posting screenshots and discussing the message on social media.

Rather than being addressed to customers, the apparent message is directed towards ASOS's internal data protection and IT teams.

It claims that an unnamed group has "fully compromised" a Snowflake instance and threatens to release information unless ASOS engages with them.

It is not currently known whether ASOS uses Snowflake's services in the way suggested by the message, nor what information may potentially be involved.

There has also been no confirmed indication of what data, if any, may have been accessed.

Why Snowflake matters

Snowflake is a major cloud-based data platform used by organisations to store, process and analyse information.

The company and its technology have previously been associated with investigations into high-profile cyber incidents involving other organisations.

Those incidents have included attacks involving data associated with Ticketmaster and Santander.

However, the existence of previous incidents involving Snowflake does not establish that ASOS has suffered a breach through Snowflake.

At this stage, the claims contained in the ASOS notification remain allegations.

An unusual way to deliver a ransom demand

Cybersecurity experts say the apparent use of ASOS's own app to deliver the message would be highly unusual if the claims are ultimately verified.

Cybercriminals typically attempt to conduct extortion negotiations privately, often contacting the targeted organisation directly and threatening to publish stolen information.

In this case, however, the alleged message has appeared directly on customers' smartphones.

Charlotte Wilson, head of enterprise at cybersecurity company Check Point, described the apparent incident as potentially serious if confirmed.

She said the hackers appeared to have turned ASOS's own app into what amounted to a public ransom message.

That would be particularly striking because customers generally assume that notifications appearing through an official app have been sent by the company itself.

What we know — and what we don't

At present, several important questions remain unanswered.

It is not clear:

• Whether ASOS itself has suffered a confirmed cyberattack

• Whether a Snowflake environment connected to ASOS has been compromised

• What data, if any, may have been accessed

• Who is responsible for the messages

• How the messages were delivered through the ASOS app

• Whether the notification was generated through compromised company systems

• Whether customer information has been exposed

The message itself should therefore not be treated as proof that customer data has been stolen.

Further investigation and a statement from ASOS will be important in establishing what actually happened.

Why customers should take care

For ASOS users who received the notification, the safest approach is to avoid clicking on unexpected links or responding to anyone claiming to represent the hackers.

Customers should also be cautious about follow-up emails, text messages or other communications asking them to provide passwords, payment details or other personal information.

If a company is investigating a potential security incident, official communications should be obtained through trusted channels rather than links contained in suspicious messages.

A worrying development if confirmed

The reported incident highlights how cybersecurity threats can increasingly extend beyond the traditional image of a hacked website or stolen password.

If attackers have genuinely gained the ability to send messages through a major retailer's app, it could raise questions about the security of the systems used to communicate directly with millions of customers.

But at this stage, the claims remain unverified.

ASOS has not yet publicly confirmed that its systems or customer data have been compromised.

The key questions now are whether the notification was genuine, how it was sent, whether any data was accessed and who was responsible.

Until those questions are answered, customers should remain cautious while avoiding unnecessary panic.

This is a developing cybersecurity story.