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Disqus data breach — are you affected?

Disqus, the blog commenting service, announced in October 2017 a breach that dated back to July 2012 and had only now come to light. It exposed more than 17 million email addresses and usernames; accounts with a Disqus login also had salted SHA-1 password hashes, while social-login users only had references to their provider.

Key facts
Verified
Breach date
1 July 2012
Accounts affected
17,551,044
Added to catalogue
6 October 2017
Website
disqus.com

Data exposed

  • Passwords, high risk
  • Email addresses, lower risk
  • Usernames, lower risk

Colour shows how damaging the data is if misused.Credentials, ID and bank dataContact and personal detailsOther profile data

What this means for you

Based on the types of data in this breach, in order of importance.

  • Change the password and turn on two-factor authentication

    Passwords or password hashes were part of this breach. Change the password on this service and on every site where you reused it, use a unique password for each account from a password manager, and enable two-factor authentication. You can test a password without sending it anywhere with the password checker.

  • Expect more targeted phishing

    Your email address ties you to this service, which is enough for a believable message such as a fake account warning. Check the sender and the web address before you sign in, and go to the site directly instead of using links in email.

  • Limit what attackers can personalise

    Names, employers, job titles and social profiles make impersonation and spear-phishing easier. Check what your public profiles reveal, and be careful with unexpected requests that use your real name or workplace.

Check your own email address

Run a free self-assessment for an email address you own. VINDICIS checks it against infostealer logs and several public breach sources and shows a summary in seconds.

Built for your own addresses. It is not a tool to look up other people.

Run a free self-assessmentCheck a password

Related breaches

Breaches that exposed similar kinds of data.

Frequently asked questions

Was my data in the Disqus breach?

Only a check of your own address can tell. If you had an account with Disqus around 2012, assume it might be. Run the free self-assessment with an email address you own: VINDICIS checks it against several public breach sources and shows a summary in seconds. It is built for your own addresses, not for looking up other people.

What information was exposed in the Disqus breach?

According to the Have I Been Pwned catalogue, the Disqus breach affected 17,551,044 accounts and exposed: Passwords, Email addresses, Usernames. The incident dates from 1 July 2012.

What should I do if I had a Disqus account?

Change your Disqus password and the password of every account that shared it, and turn on two-factor authentication. Treat unexpected emails, texts or letters that mention Disqus with suspicion, and delete the account if you no longer use it.

Is it safe to check my email address on VINDICIS?

Yes. The free scan is not stored or logged, results stay in memory for four hours at most, and your browser only talks to this site. The password checker hashes locally and sends only five characters of the hash, so the password never leaves your device.