SoundCloud Data Breach and Service Disruption Following Cyberattack
SoundCloud experienced a cyberattack that resulted in unauthorized access to an ancillary service dashboard, leading to the exposure of limited user data. The company confirmed that the attackers accessed email addresses and information already visible on public SoundCloud profiles, affecting approximately 20% of its user base—estimated at around 26 to 28 million accounts. SoundCloud stated that no sensitive data, such as financial or password information, was compromised. In response, the company activated its incident response protocols, engaged third-party cybersecurity experts, and implemented enhanced monitoring, threat detection, and access control measures.
Following the breach, SoundCloud faced multiple denial-of-service attacks that temporarily disrupted the platform's web availability. Additionally, a configuration change made during the incident response process inadvertently disrupted VPN access for users, resulting in widespread reports of 403 "forbidden" errors when attempting to connect via VPN. SoundCloud has since contained the unauthorized access and is working to restore full service, including VPN connectivity, while continuing to audit and reinforce its security posture.
Timeline
Dec 16, 2025
SoundCloud advises users to watch for phishing and strengthen accounts
In the wake of the breach, SoundCloud urged users to remain alert for phishing attempts and to improve account security, including changing passwords and enabling multi-factor or two-factor authentication. These recommendations were issued because exposed email and profile data could support social engineering attacks.
Dec 16, 2025
ShinyHunters linked to breach and alleged extortion attempt
Reports published on December 16, 2025 said the ShinyHunters extortion group was believed to be behind the SoundCloud breach and was allegedly attempting to extort the company by threatening to leak the stolen data. Some reports noted it was unclear whether the same actor also conducted the DoS attacks.
Dec 15, 2025
SoundCloud publicly confirms breach affecting about 20% of users
By December 15-16, 2025, SoundCloud confirmed that roughly 20% of its users—reported as about 26 to 28 million accounts—were affected by the data theft. The company stated that only email addresses and public profile data were exposed, not passwords or payment information.
Dec 15, 2025
Denial-of-service attacks temporarily disrupt SoundCloud web access
Following containment of the breach, SoundCloud was hit by multiple DoS/DDoS attacks that caused temporary outages on its web platform. Mobile and API services reportedly remained available during these disruptions.
Dec 15, 2025
Emergency security changes disrupt VPN access for some users
As SoundCloud implemented configuration and security changes following the breach, some users experienced temporary VPN-related connectivity problems. The company said it was not intentionally blocking VPNs and was working to resolve the access issues.
Dec 15, 2025
SoundCloud contains breach and tightens security controls
After detecting the intrusion, SoundCloud activated incident response procedures, engaged third-party cybersecurity experts, blocked unauthorized access, and reviewed monitoring and access controls. The company said it believed the attackers no longer had access to its systems.
Dec 15, 2025
Attackers breach SoundCloud via ancillary service dashboard
In December 2025, attackers gained unauthorized access to an internal or ancillary service dashboard at SoundCloud and exfiltrated a user database. The stolen data was limited to email addresses and publicly visible profile information, with no passwords or financial data accessed.
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