Wildberries Reports DDoS Attack Delayed Seller Payments, Ukrainian Intelligence Claims Responsibility

DDoS Attack Impacts Seller Payments

Russian e-commerce company Wildberries announced that a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack led to delays in payments for some of its sellers. The company indicated that security measures implemented in response to the attack affected systems responsible for tracking and withdrawing seller earnings.

Financial Impact on Sellers

The Russian Union of Marketplace Sellers reported that approximately 20 billion rubles ($240 million) for goods sold in late July remained unpaid. A survey conducted by the union found that 95.6% of nearly 2,000 sellers had not received expected payments. The union has requested government oversight and an antitrust investigation into the delays.

Company Response and Seller Skepticism

Wildberries stated that sellers' funds are secure and will be transferred once technical procedures are finalized. The company explained that its security systems can temporarily halt transfer processing during an attack, causing withdrawal requests to take longer. However, the sellers' union questioned this explanation, suggesting it was a convenient way to attribute issues to external factors and noting that foreign sellers reportedly received payments on schedule.

Ukrainian Intelligence Claims Responsibility

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) previously claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Wildberries in August, conducted with the hacker group Cyber Corps. HUR stated this operation caused widespread disruption to Wildberries' digital infrastructure, including customer service, contact centers, and payment systems.