An SQL database containing records of 1.3 million Clubhouse users has reportedly surfaced online. The leaked information includes user IDs, names, Twitter, and Instagram handles.
The Data Was Leaked on a Famous Hacking Forum
According to a Cybernews report, the leaked information was posted on a "popular hacker forum."
Given the popularity of the forum, the information likely reached a lot of hackers who could use the information to target Clubhouse users and even sabotage profiles altogether.
Leaked details include usernames, photo URLs, user IDs, and even user profile names who sent the invite. Hackers have also revealed other information such as number of followers and account creation date. Furthermore, linked Twitter and Instagram handles have also been included in the SQL database.
👋Personal data of 1.3 million #Clubhouse users has reportedly leaked online days after LinkedIn and Facebook also suffered data breaches #socialmedia #data https://t.co/DivFPWYZZ2 pic.twitter.com/3NK0Pv8HiN
— Sandrine Andro 📱💻🤹♀️☕️ (@SANDROANDRINE) April 11, 2021
Even though the leaked data doesn't include sensitive information such as credit card details, biographical user data could be used to target users with phishing scams. The user info could also be used to brute-force passwords of the affected Clubhouse accounts.
With regard to this, Clubhouse users need to be extra cautious when accepting connection requests from strangers or suspicious emails that look like they're from Clubhouse.
Another Major User Data Leak
The Clubhouse leak comes after data of 533 million Facebook users was leaked online and the information of another 500 million LinkedIn users was made available for sale.
Hackers can use information from all three data leaks to create a detailed profile of potential victims.
Cybercriminals can use the Twitter and Instagram handles from the Clubhouse leak to impersonate people as well get other people to reveal sensitive information.
In combination, these three data leaks make for one of the biggest social media breaches in recent times.
Social Media Companies Need to Be Held Accountable
Social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Clubhouse play a major part in our everyday lives. With the ongoing pandemic, we are more dependent on social media than ever before.
As such, these companies need to be questioned when such large scale data breaches take place. It's high-time that these companies undertake more stringent data security measures.
As a user, you should ensure that two-factor authentication is always enabled on your social media accounts and passwords should be changed regularly.
