Security researcher Brian Krebs reported Tuesday that a massive data breach has exposed more than 153 million driver’s licenses through a dark web marketplace called Nexus. The breach appears to be unfolding in real time, with new identification documents becoming available for sale within hours of being scanned by businesses.
The author’s own driver’s license was found among the compromised IDs shortly after renting a vehicle from a major car rental company and having their license scanned by an employee. In addition to standard image scans, the listings included high-resolution captures in both infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, potentially enabling the creation of counterfeit IDs capable of bypassing security features like holograms. Beyond driver’s licenses, Nexus advertised access to commercial driver’s licenses, government-issued identification cards, and marijuana dispensary cards.
Krebs identified IDScan.net, a New Orleans-based ID scanning service, as a potential source of the breach. The company has partnerships with multiple businesses including a major car rental agency, a multi-state dispensary chain, and numerous other commercial entities. IDScan.net’s technology captures identification documents in infrared and ultraviolet formats, consistent with the capabilities demonstrated in the Nexus marketplace. The rapid appearance of newly scanned IDs on the dark web marketplace—sometimes within hours of initial scanning—suggests the breach has provided near real-time access to data flowing through the scanning service.
Both IDScan.net and the affected car rental company stated they are investigating the matter. The FBI is also reportedly looking into the incident. The Nexus marketplace went offline within hours of the investigative report’s publication, preventing individuals from verifying whether their personal identification documents were compromised.
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