Company Details
sears
27,172
203,220
43
bit.ly
0
SEA_1206077
In-progress


Sears Vendor Cyber Rating & Cyber Score
bit.lySears is a leading integrated retailer and provider focused on seamlessly connecting the digital and physical shopping experiences to serve our members - wherever, whenever and however they want to shop. We are part of the Transformco family of brands which operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears Home Services and Kmart, with full-line and specialty retail stores across the United States. We are also home to Shop Your Way®, a social shopping platform offering members rewards for shopping at Sears and Kmart as well as with other retail partners. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 14 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit https://jobs.sears.com/.
Company Details
sears
27,172
203,220
43
bit.ly
0
SEA_1206077
In-progress
Between 700 and 749

Sears Global Score (TPRM)XXXX

Description: Sears Home Services AI Chatbot Exposed Millions of Customer Conversations Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler uncovered a major data exposure involving Sears Home Services, the largest appliance repair provider in the U.S., which performs over seven million repairs annually. Between 2024 and early 2025, three unsecured databases containing 3.7 million chat logs, 1.4 million audio files, and text transcripts were left publicly accessible online. The exposed data included customer interactions with "Samantha," Sears’ AI virtual assistant, powered by the company’s "kAIros" technology. Records revealed personal details such as names, phone numbers, home addresses, appliance information, and repair appointment schedules. Many conversations were in both English and Spanish. Of particular concern were the audio recordings, some lasting up to four hours far beyond the intended customer service calls. Fowler noted that ambient audio, including private conversations and background noise, was captured after customers believed their calls had ended. This raised significant privacy risks, as sensitive discussions may have been recorded without consent. Fowler reported the exposure to Transformco, the parent company of Sears and Sears Home Services, in early February. The databases were secured shortly after, though it remains unclear how long they were exposed or whether unauthorized parties accessed them. Transformco did not respond to requests for comment. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in AI-driven customer service systems, where cost-saving measures may overlook critical security safeguards. The exposed data could be exploited for phishing scams, warranty fraud, or other targeted attacks, given the detailed personal and household information it contained.
Description: The Washington State Office of the Attorney General reported a data breach by Sears Holdings on April 24, 2018. The breach occurred from September 27, 2017, to October 12, 2017, affecting 2,373 individuals in Washington. The compromised information included names and payment card information due to a cyberattack involving malicious script inserted by an unauthorized individual.


Sears has 50.0% fewer incidents than the average of same-industry companies with at least one recorded incident.
Sears has 13.79% fewer incidents than the average of all companies with at least one recorded incident.
Sears reported 1 incidents this year: 0 cyber attacks, 0 ransomware, 0 vulnerabilities, 1 data breaches, compared to industry peers with at least 1 incident.
Sears cyber incidents detection timeline including parent company and subsidiaries

Sears is a leading integrated retailer and provider focused on seamlessly connecting the digital and physical shopping experiences to serve our members - wherever, whenever and however they want to shop. We are part of the Transformco family of brands which operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears Home Services and Kmart, with full-line and specialty retail stores across the United States. We are also home to Shop Your Way®, a social shopping platform offering members rewards for shopping at Sears and Kmart as well as with other retail partners. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 14 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit https://jobs.sears.com/.


Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. As of October 5, 2024, Advance operated 4,781 stores primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Vi

Coppel es una empresa mexicana con sede en la ciudad de Culiacán, que ha sido fundada en 1941. Es una cadena comercial de tiendas departamentales de ventas a través del otorgamiento de créditos con pocos requisitos, y repartos gratuitos. En la actualidad cuenta con mas de 1000 puntos de venta, distr
Wayfair is the destination for all things home: helping everyone, anywhere create their feeling of home. From expert customer service, to the development of tools that make the shopping process easier, to carrying one of the widest and deepest selections of items for every space, style, and budget,
Kohl’s is a leading omnichannel retailer with more than 1,100 stores in 49 states. Kohl's business is built on a solid foundation of more than 60 million customers, an unmatched brand portfolio, industry-leading loyalty and Kohl's Card programs, a convenient and accessible nationwide store footprin

At Academy Sports + Outdoors, we believe in the power of fun. And we believe in helping our customers have more of it. With a wide assortment of sporting and outdoors gear, Academy offers the best brands under one roof — curated to make the most of every budget. Day in and day out, our 20,000+ Team
It takes guts to start a business during the Great Depression. And it takes vision to keep it going. Our founder, Hendrik Meijer, opened Thrifty Acres in 1934. Nearly thirty years later, his son, Fred, pioneered the world's first-ever supercenter, laying the groundwork for what we are today: a mult

The worldwide SPAR organisation operates over 13,800 SPAR stores in 48 countries on four continents, meeting the needs of over 14,7 million consumers every day. The SPAR concept was established on the basis of wholesalers and retailers working in partnership to the benefit of all, including custom

Sejak tahun 1997, Super Indo telah bertumbuh dan berkembang di Indonesia melalui kemitraan bersama Ahold Delhaize yang berasal dari Belanda dan Salim Group dari Indonesia. Didukung lebih dari 10,000 karyawan* yang terlatih, Super Indo berhasil menyediakan berbagai macam barang kebutuhan sehari-hari

At The Michaels Companies Inc., our purpose is to fuel the joy of creativity and celebration. As the leading destination for creating and celebrating in North America, we operate over 1,300 stores in 49 states and Canada and online at Michaels.com and Michaels.ca. The Michaels Companies, Inc. also
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Explore insights on cybersecurity incidents, risk posture, and Rankiteo's assessments.
The official website of Sears is https://bit.ly/3UZDRRX.
According to Rankiteo, Sears’s AI-generated cybersecurity score is 718, reflecting their Moderate security posture.
According to Rankiteo, Sears currently holds 0 security badges, indicating that no recognized compliance certifications are currently verified for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, Sears has not been affected by any supply chain cyber incidents, and no incident IDs are currently listed for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, Sears is not certified under SOC 2 Type 1.
According to Rankiteo, Sears does not hold a SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
According to Rankiteo, Sears is not listed as GDPR compliant.
According to Rankiteo, Sears does not currently maintain PCI DSS compliance.
According to Rankiteo, Sears is not compliant with HIPAA regulations.
According to Rankiteo,Sears is not certified under ISO 27001, indicating the absence of a formally recognized information security management framework.
Sears operates primarily in the Retail industry.
Sears employs approximately 27,172 people worldwide.
Sears presently has no subsidiaries across any sectors.
Sears’s official LinkedIn profile has approximately 203,220 followers.
Sears is classified under the NAICS code 43, which corresponds to Retail Trade.
No, Sears does not have a profile on Crunchbase.
Yes, Sears maintains an official LinkedIn profile, which is actively utilized for branding and talent engagement, which can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sears.
As of April 02, 2026, Rankiteo reports that Sears has experienced 2 cybersecurity incidents.
Sears has an estimated 15,730 peer or competitor companies worldwide.
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred include Cyber Attack and Breach.
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through an containment measures with databases secured after notification..
Title: Sears Holdings Data Breach
Description: The Washington State Office of the Attorney General reported a data breach by Sears Holdings on April 24, 2018. The breach occurred from September 27, 2017, to October 12, 2017, affecting 2,373 individuals in Washington, with compromised information including names and payment card information due to a cyberattack involving malicious script inserted by an unauthorized individual.
Date Detected: 2018-04-24
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2018-04-24
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Malicious Script
Vulnerability Exploited: Insertion of malicious script
Threat Actor: Unauthorized Individual
Title: Sears Home Services AI Chatbot Exposed Millions of Customer Conversations
Description: Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler uncovered a major data exposure involving Sears Home Services, the largest appliance repair provider in the U.S. Three unsecured databases containing 3.7 million chat logs, 1.4 million audio files, and text transcripts were left publicly accessible online. The exposed data included customer interactions with 'Samantha,' Sears’ AI virtual assistant, revealing personal details such as names, phone numbers, home addresses, appliance information, and repair appointment schedules. Audio recordings captured ambient conversations beyond intended customer service calls, raising significant privacy risks.
Date Detected: 2025-02-early
Type: Data Exposure
Attack Vector: Unsecured Database
Vulnerability Exploited: Misconfigured Database Access Controls
Common Attack Types: The most common types of attacks the company has faced is Breach.
Identification of Attack Vectors: The company identifies the attack vectors used in incidents through Malicious Script.

Data Compromised: Names, Payment card information
Payment Information Risk: True

Data Compromised: 3.7 million chat logs, 1.4 million audio files, text transcripts
Systems Affected: AI virtual assistant ('Samantha'), kAIros technology
Brand Reputation Impact: High
Legal Liabilities: Potential
Identity Theft Risk: High
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are Names, Payment Card Information, , Chat Logs, Audio Recordings, Text Transcripts and .

Entity Name: Sears Holdings
Entity Type: Retail
Industry: Retail
Location: Washington
Customers Affected: 2373

Entity Name: Sears Home Services
Entity Type: Corporation
Industry: Home Appliance Repair
Location: U.S.
Size: Large (7 million repairs annually)
Customers Affected: Millions

Containment Measures: Databases secured after notification

Type of Data Compromised: Names, Payment card information
Number of Records Exposed: 2373
Sensitivity of Data: High

Type of Data Compromised: Chat logs, Audio recordings, Text transcripts
Number of Records Exposed: 5.1 million (3.7M chat logs + 1.4M audio files)
Sensitivity of Data: High (PII, home addresses, appliance details, repair schedules, ambient audio)
File Types Exposed: Audio (.mp3/.wav)Text
Personally Identifiable Information: NamesPhone numbersHome addresses
Handling of PII Incidents: The company handles incidents involving personally identifiable information (PII) through by databases secured after notification.

Regulations Violated: Potential GDPR (if EU customers affected), Potential CCPA,

Lessons Learned: Vulnerabilities in AI-driven customer service systems can lead to significant data exposure if security safeguards are overlooked. Cost-saving measures must not compromise data protection.

Recommendations: Implement strict access controls for databases, Regular security audits, Limit audio recording duration to intended interactions, Enhance monitoring for unauthorized access, Ensure compliance with data protection regulationsImplement strict access controls for databases, Regular security audits, Limit audio recording duration to intended interactions, Enhance monitoring for unauthorized access, Ensure compliance with data protection regulationsImplement strict access controls for databases, Regular security audits, Limit audio recording duration to intended interactions, Enhance monitoring for unauthorized access, Ensure compliance with data protection regulationsImplement strict access controls for databases, Regular security audits, Limit audio recording duration to intended interactions, Enhance monitoring for unauthorized access, Ensure compliance with data protection regulationsImplement strict access controls for databases, Regular security audits, Limit audio recording duration to intended interactions, Enhance monitoring for unauthorized access, Ensure compliance with data protection regulations
Key Lessons Learned: The key lessons learned from past incidents are Vulnerabilities in AI-driven customer service systems can lead to significant data exposure if security safeguards are overlooked. Cost-saving measures must not compromise data protection.

Source: Washington State Office of the Attorney General
Date Accessed: 2018-04-24

Source: Jeremiah Fowler (Security Researcher)
Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at and Source: Washington State Office of the Attorney GeneralDate Accessed: 2018-04-24, and Source: Jeremiah Fowler (Security Researcher).

Investigation Status: Partially resolved (databases secured, but exposure duration unclear)

Entry Point: Malicious Script

Root Causes: Insertion of malicious script by an unauthorized individual

Root Causes: Misconfigured database access controls, lack of security oversight for AI systems
Corrective Actions: Databases secured, but further measures needed to prevent recurrence
Corrective Actions Taken: The company has taken the following corrective actions based on post-incident analysis: Databases secured, but further measures needed to prevent recurrence.
Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident was an Unauthorized Individual.
Most Recent Incident Detected: The most recent incident detected was on 2018-04-24.
Most Recent Incident Publicly Disclosed: The most recent incident publicly disclosed was on 2018-04-24.
Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident were Names, Payment Card Information, , 3.7 million chat logs, 1.4 million audio files and text transcripts.
Containment Measures in Most Recent Incident: The containment measures taken in the most recent incident was Databases secured after notification.
Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach were 3.7 million chat logs, 1.4 million audio files, text transcripts, Names and Payment Card Information.
Number of Records Exposed in Most Significant Breach: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was 5.1M.
Most Significant Lesson Learned: The most significant lesson learned from past incidents was Vulnerabilities in AI-driven customer service systems can lead to significant data exposure if security safeguards are overlooked. Cost-saving measures must not compromise data protection.
Most Significant Recommendation Implemented: The most significant recommendation implemented to improve cybersecurity was Regular security audits, Limit audio recording duration to intended interactions, Ensure compliance with data protection regulations, Implement strict access controls for databases and Enhance monitoring for unauthorized access.
Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident are Washington State Office of the Attorney General and Jeremiah Fowler (Security Researcher).
Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is Partially resolved (databases secured, but exposure duration unclear).
Most Recent Entry Point: The most recent entry point used by an initial access broker was an Malicious Script.
Most Significant Root Cause: The most significant root cause identified in post-incident analysis was Insertion of malicious script by an unauthorized individual, Misconfigured database access controls, lack of security oversight for AI systems.
Most Significant Corrective Action: The most significant corrective action taken based on post-incident analysis was Databases secured, but further measures needed to prevent recurrence.
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A vulnerability was found in Nothings stb up to 1.26. Impacted is the function stbtt_InitFont_internal in the library stb_truetype.h of the component TTF File Handler. Performing a manipulation results in out-of-bounds read. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. The exploit has been made public and could be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain an out-of-bounds read in VS6ComFile!get_macro_mem_COM. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to information disclosure from the affected product.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain a stack-based buffer overflow in VS6ComFile!CSaveData::_conv_AnimationItem. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to arbitrary code execution on the affected product.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in VS6MemInIF!set_temp_type_default. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to information disclosure from the affected product.
V-SFT versions 6.2.10.0 and prior contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in VS6ComFile!load_link_inf. Opening a crafted V7 file may lead to information disclosure from the affected product.

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