Nissan confirmed a data breach impacting nearly 18,000 customers in June 2023. The incident involved sensitive customer information being accessed by unauthorized individuals due to a poorly secured database used by a third-party software developer working with Nissan.

Nissan emphasizes the unintentional nature of the breach, stating customer data was embedded in software testing code and inadvertently stored in a public cloud repository by the vendor. The exposed information included names, birth dates, and Nissan Financial Account (NMAC) numbers. No payment information or Social Security numbers were reportedly compromised.

The company has notified affected customers and is offering them free one-year identity protection services. Though Nissan claims no evidence of misuse yet, the incident highlights the importance of secure data handling by third-party vendors.