The New York Times reported that the code had been publicly accessible for months, which is a rare occurrence. The leak was a substantial exposure of Twitter's intellectual property, given the security flaws in the code that could allow hackers to steal user data or bring down the website.
Twitter took swift action to have the leaked code removed from GitHub, an online community for software developers where the code was posted. However, it is unclear how long the code had been public before Twitter's request to have it removed. The social media platform also asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to order GitHub to reveal the identity of the individual who shared the code.
Sources familiar with the situation told the New York Times that Twitter executives handling the case believe the individual responsible for the leak left the company last year. It's a troubling revelation as Twitter has been dealing with numerous security issues, including high-profile hacks and data breaches.
Mr Musk's $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October 2022 has led to the layoff of around 75% of Twitter's 7,500 employees. The executives handling the code leak case were reportedly only recently made aware of the situation. It's unclear how the leak could impact Twitter's future security and development plans.
Twitter's response to the code leak and the potential repercussions of the security flaws in the code will be closely monitored. The company has been working on improving its security and addressing concerns raised by users and regulators. This leak underscores the importance of safeguarding intellectual property and the need for companies to be vigilant in protecting their proprietary information from unauthorized access or distribution.