Crims buy access to Brazilian national security database

Criminals have bought from a hacker access to Brazil's biggest public security state database containing information on millions of citizens including surveillance data, arrest warrants, and firearms and vehicle registrations .

TV channel SBT discovered the credentials for sale that access the INFOSEG shared services network -- the largest database of public security information in the country containing data used by police to fight crime.

The hacker from north-east Brazil accessed the network by entering a police officers' credentials into a Ministry of Justice portal.

They sold a month's access for R$2000 ($A985) and said criminals wanting to forge documents and license plates among other scams were the biggest buyers, SBT reported.

Citizen data could be then obtained by entering national persons registration number (CPF).

In a similar case in 2008, Brazil federal police arrested 50 people across five states in relation to an INFOSEG password leak in which the network was accessed some 5000 times..

Hat tip to @jopito and @suffert for assisting with translation for this story.

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