Flipboard Hack Exposed Usernames, Email Addresses and Hashed Passwords

Flipboard today emailed Flipboard users to let them know about a security breach that saw usernames, email addresses, and protected passwords accessed by hackers.

Between June 2, 2018 and April 22, 2019, there was "unauthorized access" to Flipboard databases that leaked account information. Flipboard says the hackers "potentially obtained copies" of some databases, and has not yet shared details on how many accounts were compromised.

flipboardsecuritybreach
Databases included Flipboard usernames, names, email addresses, and passwords, but the passwords were salted and hashed, which means they weren't stored in plaintext and would be difficult to crack.

Also included were digital tokens used to connect Flipboard to third party services like Twitter or Facebook, if users had indeed connected their Flipboard accounts to their social media networks.

Flipboard is resetting all user passwords and replacing or deleting all digital tokens. If you connected Flipboard to Facebook or Twitter, you will need to reconnect your accounts.

Flipboard says that to prevent something like this from happening again, it has implemented "enhanced security measures." Law enforcement officials have also been notified.

The company recommends that users who use the same username and password for Flipboard that they use for other accounts change their passwords for other services as a precautionary measure.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Apple John Ternus 2019

Will John Ternus Really Be Apple's Next CEO?

Friday December 5, 2025 9:01 am PST by
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge. Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...

Top Rated Comments

nwcs Avatar
85 months ago
While not excusing a breach, the reality is that security is multilayered and simply very hard. It’s a lot like keeping squirrels from bird feeders. The people looking to breach spend all their time and resources to breach but the security people can only do so much.

Factor in third party libraries with their own vulnerabilities, software vulnerabilities, hardware vulnerabilities, and human weaknesses to phishing and the like and the job is even harder.

After having dealt with various security stuff over the years, working with third parties in software scanning, pen testers, etc. I’ve realized that the odds are stacked perpetually against any company. There are more hackers out there with agendas, resources, and cleverness than there are people available to defend against them in every corporation. It’s the blessing and curse of the internet all at once.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
85 months ago
The bad news keeps coming from social media sites that do a poor job in protecting their networks.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chelsel Avatar
85 months ago
Who are the CTOs and engineers of these companies that decide they want to write their own authentication systems!? Companies need to start getting class action lawsuits for privacy violations and sued into oblivion... then they will start taking security seriously.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
burgman Avatar
85 months ago
The bad news keeps coming from social media sites that do a poor job in protecting their networks.
I’ve never even heard of flipboard.. but then again I’ve never even had a FB account so that’s how little I give a flyin f about social media/
Thanks for the laugh, because it starts with an F it must be Facebook clone? Flipboard is a curated news app. :)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
85 months ago
I appreciate their transparency. Certain other companies would try to cover it up.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
edgonzalez32 Avatar
85 months ago
While not excusing a breach, the reality is that security is multilayered and simply very hard. It’s a lot like keeping squirrels from bird feeders. The people looking to breach spend all their time and resources to breach but the security people can only do so much.

Factor in third party libraries with their own vulnerabilities, software vulnerabilities, hardware vulnerabilities, and human weaknesses to phishing and the like and the job is even harder.

After having dealt with various security stuff over the years, working with third parties in software scanning, pen testers, etc. I’ve realized that the odds are stacked perpetually against any company. There are more hackers out there with agendas, resources, and cleverness than there are people available to defend against them in every corporation. It’s the blessing and curse of the internet all at once.
Yea, like people are way too quick to just start ******** all over a company when a data breach happens. Its insanely complex.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)