4.6 Million Snapchat Usernames and Phone Numbers Leaked

Story:

Hackers leak 4.6M Snapchat usernames and phone numbers.

Other Versions

Snapchat Phone Number Database Leaked – 4.6 million users affected.

Picture: 4.6 Million Snapchat Usernames and Phone Numbers Leaked — 4.6 Million Snapchat Usernames and Phone Numbers Leaked

Analysis:

Messages circulating online, especially via social media, claim that hackers leaked usernames and phone numbers of 4.6 million Snapchat users. Yes, it is a fact!

Snapchat, the presently popular photo messaging application developed by Stanford University students Evan Spiegel and Robert Murphy has been in the news for quite some time now. It is especially popular with teenagers, and has been widely reported to be used for sexting and sharing explicit images. But this time, more than four-and-a-half million Snapchat usernames and phone numbers were leaked online on 31 Dec. 2013, by anonymous hackers who posted the database on website SnapchatDB.info.

In the website, the database of leaked information was available for download as an SQL dump or CSV text file. You can view its archive here. The hackers, however, said that they have censored the last two digits of the leaked Snapchat users’ phone numbers – in order to minimize spam and abuse, but also mentioned that they may agree to release the uncensored version of the database “under certain circumstances.”

On their website, the hackers behind SnapchatDB stated that they accessed the Snapchat app’s usernames and phone numbers using a recently patched API exploit, and that they have done this to raise public awareness on the issue. They said that Snapchat has been reluctant to take “the necessary steps to secure user data.” Earlier, in last summer, an Australian group Gibson Security (GibsonSec) also reported potential security breach regarding Snapchat app. As of 01 Jan 2014, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel told Mashable that their company is working with law enforcement and shall update when they can.

How to Check if Your Snapchat Info. was Leaked

According to RT news, the detailed view of the available area codes in the hacked Snapchat database lists many, but not all of US and some of the Canadian area codes. To know whether your Snapchat account information is leaked, you can use GS Lookup – Snapchat, a public service lookup tool from Gibson Security that asks you to enter only your username. If your Snapchat account info. was compromised, you will see your phone number (minus the last two digits) on the Web page, and if not, you’ll see a message saying “You’re Safe.”

What if Leaked?

If your Snapchat account information has been leaked, you can do few things. You can delete your account here. But since this will not remove your phone number from the leaked database, you can contact your service provider and request for a change of number. Also ensure that your security settings on related social media profiles are safe. And be careful about the personal information you share on such social sites; if you think the service does not require your phone number, do not give it. Parents should also be watchful when children are using such social apps.