Amazon resets some passwords, cites vague 'issue' as reason

Some Amazon users have received notifications stating the company has reset their accounts passwords due to a possible issue, the nature of which isn't clear. Both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk users saw the message appear in the account's message center, as well as in email. The move was one made out of an "abundance of caution," according to the email, but the company hasn't explicitly stated why it decided to act in such a manner.

It isn't clear how many Amazon accounts had their passwords reset. According to the email sent to users, the company "recently discovered that your password may have been improperly stored on your device or transmitted to Amazon in a way that could potentially expose it to a third party."

Whatever the issue is, the email goes on to say that Amazon has corrected it "to prevent this exposure." In addition, though there is obviously some big concern in play, Amazon states that there's "no reason" to believe account passwords had been leaked to a third party.

Rather, it has issued temporary account passwords to affected users as a cautionary measure. Amazon has not issued a formal statement about the matter at this time. The possible leak follows Amazon's recent launch of two-factor authentication, a security option that helps keep accounts secure.

SOURCE: ZDNet