Instagram Says Hack That Targeted Celebrities Was Wider Than Previously Thought
September 01 2017 - 8:10PM
Dow Jones News
By Deepa Seetharaman
Social-media app Instagram said a hack it disclosed earlier this
week affected a larger number of users than it previously
detected.
Instagram, owned by Facebook Inc., earlier this week said
hackers stole email addresses and phone numbers -- but not
passwords -- tied to some celebrity accounts.
On Friday, the photo- and video-sharing app said the theft
affected regular users as well and wasn't just "targeted at
high-profile users." Instagram reiterated that no passwords were
stolen.
The contact information was stolen after hackers exploited a bug
in Instagram's software that the company says has since been
patched up.
Instagram, which has 700 million monthly users, said it doesn't
know which specific accounts were affected and said a "low
percentage" of its users were affected, without providing more
specific figures.
Stolen email addresses and phone numbers aren't as sensitive as
passwords, because it typically takes a lot of work to gain control
of a user's phone number or email account without the help of a
stolen password, cybersecurity experts say. Gaining access to
somebody's password could be more harmful.
The stolen data are being sold online, according to Instagram.
Some information was up for sale for $10 through a database called
Doxagram, which claimed to have some contact information for
high-profile accounts including that of Facebook Chief Executive
Mark Zuckerberg and pop star Rihanna.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage you to be vigilant
about the security of your account, and exercise caution if you
observe any suspicious activity such as unrecognized incoming
calls, texts, or emails," Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger said in
a blog post.
Earlier this week, hackers reportedly pried into the account of
singer Selena Gomez and posted nude photos of her ex-boyfriend, the
pop star Justin Bieber. An Instagram spokesman declined to say if
Ms. Gomez was among those affected by the breach.
--Robert McMillan contributed to this article.
Write to Deepa Seetharaman at Deepa.Seetharaman@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 01, 2017 19:55 ET (23:55 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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