Pakistan: Bike-hailing app Bykea will get hacked, customers obtain abusive notifications

On Tuesday, thirteenth June, a Pakistani bike-hailing and parcel-delivery app named Bykea was hacked. Several Pakistanis began receiving abusive notifications cursing Pakistan after the hacking. Several customers of the app complained to the app house owners over the abusive messages they acquired. 

Upholding their custom of blaming India for every thing improper in Pakistan, a number of Pakistani blamed India for it, alleging that Indian hackers hacked the app. Several others speculated if it was a advertising and marketing technique of Bykea’s advertising and marketing staff. Meanwhile, many questioned if somebody at Bykea was not having day and it was an insider job. 

The first notification, which featured offensive language, flashed on customers’ screens at about 12:10 p.m., adopted by one other notification 40 minutes later, notifying customers in Urdu/Hinglish that the applying was nonetheless hacked. “Are b** valo abhi tak app hacked hai,” acknowledged the notification.

One Hammad Naseem shared an image of the abusive notification he acquired from Bykea on his smartwatch.

#bykea hacked pic.twitter.com/H9ymvgk5v3

— Hammad Naseem (@hammad__naseem) June 13, 2023

Another consumer named Shariq posted the same screenshot, and questioned if somebody was not having day at Bykea as he wrote, “what is that this some one shouldn’t be having day at Bykea?

wait what 😂😂😂😂 @bykeapk what is that this some one shouldn’t be having dag at byeka #bykea #bykeapk pic.twitter.com/maJw85VC9b

— شارق سلیم💓 (@n_shariq) June 13, 2023

Another consumer Yashfa posted a message saying that the app continues to be hacked. She appeared to have acquired intelligence enter that the app was hacked by Indians as she tweeted, “Our neighbours have nothing better to do.”

Our neighbours don’t have anything higher to do 🤣🤣 #bykea pic.twitter.com/n1iGgDeyxn

— Yashfa (@BiryaniWoman) June 13, 2023

Another Twitter consumer wrote, “I think I have downloaded the wrong Bykea,” posting a screenshot of the abusive message.

I feel I’ve downloaded the improper bykea pic.twitter.com/Fm7OetwM7g

— Asim Munir Stan Acc (@YaarGuruu) June 13, 2023

Some Twitter customers opined that the bike-hailing app’s advertising and marketing staff may have been behind the abusive notifications.

Bykea hacked or its Marketing ways?🌚#bykeahacked pic.twitter.com/rA9lRBWLcT

— Rao Muhammad Usman (@Rao_MUsman) June 13, 2023

Bykea IT and PR Bykea advertising and marketing
Team Team pondering of
The free publicity: pic.twitter.com/BnjZVNB1Tw

— Saltafa (@saltafa) June 13, 2023

The incident additionally triggered a meme-fest on Twitter.

Hackers who hacked bykea pic.twitter.com/A7BR7pSfqR

— فیضان (@faizanriaz7_) June 13, 2023

BYKEA app as we speak 🤔#bykea #bykeahacked pic.twitter.com/nxRXLa85uA

— Bi_lal_ki_memes (@bi_lal_ki_memes) June 13, 2023

Bykea as we speak: pic.twitter.com/aEL3SoMgkn

— Huriam 🕊 (@ffshuriam) June 13, 2023

Soon after, an apology was issued by the Bykea app via its Twitter deal with. The firm additionally confirmed that the third-party communication device was compromised, nevertheless, it has been restored.

#Bykea pic.twitter.com/ywlgCswRhK

— Bykea – Moving People, Parcels & Payments (@bykeapk) June 13, 2023

Meanwhile, the CEO of Bykea app, Muneeb Maayr mentioned {that a} laptop computer utilized by one in every of his staff working on the Karachi workplace was accessed by somebody outdoors the nation. He added that their third-party communication device lacked two-factor authentication, permitting the hackers to breach the system and achieve entry to the applying. Maayr, nevertheless, didn’t reveal the identify of the compromised device.

According to Bykea’s Facebook web page, the app and the service can be found in numerous Pakistani cities, together with Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Wah.