Instagram has denied that its systems were breached, following reports that sensitive data linked to more than 17.5 million user accounts had been exposed to cybercriminals.
The issue came to public attention after reported on Thursday that millions of Instagram users were receiving suspicious password reset notifications, prompting concerns about a possible data leak. The report cited claims by cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes that personal information, including usernames, email addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses, had been compiled and offered for sale on the dark web.
In a post shared on Bluesky on Friday, Malwarebytes said the alleged dataset contained information tied to 17.5 million Instagram accounts and warned that the exposure could be exploited for phishing attacks, credential stuffing and account takeovers.
