EU Investigating Private Key Leak in Forged COVID Passports

According to reports on ‘threatpost’, ‘BleepingComputer’ and other online platforms, the private key used to sign EU Digital COVID certificates has been leaked and is being circulated on messaging apps and online data breach marketplaces.

The platforms claim that the key has also been misused to generate forged certificates, such as those for Mickey Mouse and Sponge Bob -both of which were being recognised as valid by the official government apps.

The Digital COVID certificate, or the ‘Green Pass’, is the European Union’s equivalent of a vaccine passports, enabling EU residents to travel across borders seamlessly by proving that they have either been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result, or successfully recovered from COVID-19.

Users reported seeing the private key used to sign the EU Digital COVID certificates circulating on messaging apps, like Telegram.