Nintendo Resets Passwords For Player Accounts Cracked By Hackers

Nintendo confirmed that hackers have indeed managed to crack Nintendo accounts. The problem has been traced to a redundant Nintendo Network ID login method, which let hackers access a treasure trove of user and password data for the IDs.

IGN reported that the hackers used the information they gained to log into Nintendo Accounts and engage in illegal activities not limited to unauthorized purchases. The Nintendo ID feature is an older form of access to Nintendo services. It was introduced at the time of the Wii U, and continued until the 3DS series of portable consoles.

Nintendo has since tried to be on top of the situation, resetting passwords for NNID logins and for accounts which may have been compromised by the breach. If a user fails to reset the password by themselves, Nintendo has decided to reset the password automatically to prevent further hacking of these accounts.

The most important information associated with an account that hackers are usually after—credit card details—are not easily accessible in Nintendo’s Accounts, but other details may have been compromised. User details like date of birth, country/region and email address associated to these accounts could be used by the hackers to blackmail or make other purchases.

The hacking may be a bigger problem that the one that Nintendo’s is already facing; according to Bloomberg, the company is facing a global problem on maintaining its Switch console supply line. The U.S. and European markets are expected to experience a “struggle” to receive fresh shipments due to the lockdown in China, where Switch components are assembled.

The slowdown may even affect people who are still looking for copies of “Animal Crossing: New Horizon” and consoles to play on. The first-party title, and others like it, have been the lifeblood of the system’s popularity and marketability, and also sustained its momentum.

Nintendo is still investigating how the hackers managed to track down NNID login information. A statement from the company said that information might have been dug up “by other means than our service." Another statement out of Nintendo UK said that there was no evidence of a breach in their servers or databases.