Instagram Denies Data Breach After Wave of Password Reset Emails
Instagram has officially denied a recent hack, stating that user accounts are secure. The statement comes after a wave of users reporting suspicious unsolicited password reset emails, sparking concerns about a potential security breach.
Key Highlights
- The Incident: Users reported receiving mass unsolicited password reset emails.
- Context: A security firm (Malwarebytes) linked the case to a data breach exposing information of 17.5 million people.
- Instagram's Explanation: The company states the exposed data is linked to an old API flaw (2024), which has already been fixed.
- Official Stance: Instagram denies any recent breach and says it has fixed the issue that allowed external parties to request password resets.
Case Details
According to Engadget, the confusion began when Malwarebytes associated the password reset emails with an alleged data leak. However, Instagram clarified that the circulating data does not come from a new breach but from a previously mitigated incident. The platform reinforced that "no passwords were exposed" and that the functionality allowing excessive password reset emails by third parties has been adjusted.
Instagram recommends users enable two-factor authentication as an extra precaution.