Brian Krebs says IDscan-related driver’s license scans were for sale on Nexus within hours of being scanned. The FBI is reportedly investigating the breach. The speed of that exposure means a scan collected at a checkout counter could have moved into criminal hands before the person walked away.
Nexus and 153 million licenses
Tuesday and the FBI became the pivot points after KrebsOnSecurity said Nexus listed more than 153 million driver’s licenses for sale. The scale matters because Krebs said the exposed records kept growing over a span of 24 hours, with almost 400,000 more licenses appearing in that window.
Krebs said the listings included multiple image files for the front and back of licenses. He also said the files captured infrared and ultraviolet spectra. That extra image data can help forged cards survive the kind of visual checks that rely on holograms and surface features.
IDScan.net and the source trail
Krebs found that IDScan.net had announced an exclusive arrangement with Planet13. He also said IDScan.net listed Hertz and 11 other companies as using its services. A spokesperson for IDScan.net said the company is investigating.
The service also claimed to provide scans of marijuana dispensary cards. Krebs said one of the victims he spoke with reported visiting a Las Vegas outlet of Planet13. He also said records listed their source as CDL, while others used CAC.
Brian Krebs and the open question
Krebs said CAC may refer to Common Access Cards, which he described as "government issued identity cards that grant physical access to government buildings and secure rooms." He also said his own driver’s license was among the scans available for sale.
Nexus went dark within hours of the KrebsOnSecurity scoop. The FBI investigation is still ongoing, and the unresolved issue is which third-party scanning service or leak source gave Nexus near real-time access to the data.
