Streaming platform SoundCloud has reported a significant cybersecurity incident in which attackers gained unauthorized access to a user database. According to the company’s preliminary assessment, the breach affected around 28 million accounts, or approximately 20% of SoundCloud’s total user base, raising serious concerns about privacy, phishing, and account takeover attempts across other online services.
SoundCloud data breach: scale and compromised information
SoundCloud states that high-risk confidential data such as passwords, payment card details, and other financial information were not compromised during the attack. The exposed dataset primarily includes email addresses along with information that is already visible in public user profiles, such as display names, usernames (nicknames), and some account parameters.
Even in the absence of password leakage, the exposure of millions of valid email addresses is far from benign. Email data of this scale is highly valuable to cybercriminals for phishing campaigns, targeted spam, and social engineering. On the back of a high-profile breach, attackers can craft convincing messages that appear to come from SoundCloud, urging users to “verify their account” or “urgently change their password,” significantly increasing the success rate of fraudulent attempts.
This pattern is consistent with broader industry trends. For example, Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report has repeatedly shown that phishing is one of the leading initial vectors in successful compromises, often leveraging newsworthy breaches as lures.
How the SoundCloud hack was detected and why VPN users suffered
Indirect signs of the incident became visible to the community several days before the official disclosure. Users began reporting widespread HTTP 403 “Forbidden” errors when trying to access SoundCloud via VPN services. For many, this is critical: the platform is blocked or heavily restricted in countries such as China and Russia and partially limited in several others, where VPN access is the only reliable way to use the service.
Later, SoundCloud clarified that these access issues were a side effect of containment measures. As part of the incident response, engineers adjusted the platform’s network configuration and access controls to limit the attackers’ movement. These defensive changes temporarily disrupted traffic patterns typical for VPN endpoints, which are often treated as higher risk due to their shared IP addresses and association with anonymity.
Incident response measures and hardening of SoundCloud’s security
According to the company, the malicious activity was first identified in one of SoundCloud’s auxiliary admin panels. Once detected, the organization initiated a formal Incident Response (IR) process — a structured procedure that typically includes isolating affected systems, collecting and analyzing logs, assessing the scope of compromise, and restoring normal operations under enhanced security controls.
SoundCloud reports that unauthorized access has been blocked and that there is no current indication of ongoing compromise. With support from external cybersecurity experts, the company has reportedly:
• Strengthened monitoring and threat detection: By tuning and expanding systems such as SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) and IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems), the platform can better identify suspicious behavior in real time and react faster to anomalies.
• Reviewed Identity and Access Management (IAM): SoundCloud has revisited its account and access policies, reinforcing the principle of least privilege to ensure that administrative panels and internal tools are accessible only to those who absolutely need them.
• Audited connected systems and integrations: To rule out lateral movement — when attackers pivot from one compromised system to others — linked services and third-party integrations were examined for signs of intrusion.
• Adjusted network configurations: Network-level protections and access rules were tightened, which contributed to the temporary access problems experienced by VPN users. The company has not provided a clear timeline for full restoration of seamless VPN access.
ShinyHunters, extortion, and DDoS pressure tactics
While SoundCloud has not publicly named the threat actors, multiple industry reports associate the breach with the ShinyHunters group — a well-known data theft and extortion collective linked to numerous large-scale database leaks sold on underground marketplaces.
Sources indicate that the attackers are threatening to publish the stolen database unless SoundCloud meets their demands. This approach mirrors the double-extortion tactics widely used in modern ransomware operations: instead of or in addition to encrypting systems, criminals steal data and then leverage the threat of disclosure to pressure victims into paying.
In parallel, SoundCloud’s web platform reportedly experienced Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks after the main intrusion. In a DDoS attack, adversaries flood servers with artificial traffic to overload infrastructure and make services temporarily unavailable. Beyond operational disruption, DDoS is frequently used as a psychological and reputational weapon to force faster negotiation or distract defenders from other malicious activity.
Practical security recommendations for SoundCloud users
Even though passwords were not included in the leaked dataset, users should treat this incident as a heightened risk scenario. The most probable threats include:
• Targeted phishing via email: Attackers can send highly convincing emails referencing the SoundCloud breach, urging users to log in via malicious links, download attachments, or share additional personal data.
• Cross-service attacks: Exposed email addresses may be matched against other leaked databases. If a user reuses the same or similar passwords across platforms, this can enable credential stuffing — automated attempts to log into other services using known email–password pairs from previous breaches.
• Profiling and doxxing: Combining SoundCloud profile data with other leaks can help criminals build more complete profiles of individuals, increasing the effectiveness of social engineering or harassment.
To reduce risk, SoundCloud users — and online users in general — should consider the following measures:
• Treat unsolicited emails with suspicion: Do not click on links or open attachments in messages claiming to be from SoundCloud unless you have verified the sender’s address and the domain. When in doubt, navigate directly to the official website or app instead of following email links.
• Use unique passwords for every service: A password manager can generate and store strong, unique passwords, significantly reducing the impact of any single data leak.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Where available, turn on 2FA (using an authenticator app or hardware token rather than SMS where possible). Even if attackers know your email address and password, 2FA adds an extra layer that is hard to bypass.
• Monitor your email for exposure: Use reputable breach notification services to check whether your email addresses appear in known leaks. If they do, review and update passwords on associated accounts.
The SoundCloud incident underscores a key reality of modern cybersecurity: even partial data leaks, such as email addresses and public profile fields, can fuel large-scale phishing operations and long-term profiling efforts. Organizations that handle extensive user datasets must rigorously protect administrative interfaces, enforce layered access control, and continuously monitor for anomalous activity. At the same time, users need to build resilient “digital hygiene” habits — from unique passwords and 2FA to cautious handling of security-related emails — turning high-profile breaches into a catalyst for stronger personal and organizational cybersecurity practices.
