Ethical Hacking News
Chess.com, a popular online chess platform, has suffered a data breach that has exposed the personal data of over 7.3 million users. The breach, which was reported on August 14, 2026, was caused by large-scale scraping of user data, rather than a server breach. The leaked data, which includes user names, email addresses, and chess ratings, has raised concerns about the security of the platform and the potential for misuse of user data. Chess.com users are advised to treat unexpected emails with caution and to check whether the same email address has turned up elsewhere. The breach highlights the need for better data protection measures and user education.
Over 7.3 million Chess.com users had their personal data exposed in a data breach. The breach was caused by large-scale scraping of user data, not a server breach. The leaked data included user names, email addresses, chess ratings, and other personal information. Payment data and passwords were not included in the breach. The breach highlights the need for better data protection measures and user education. A similar data breach occurred at Chess.com in 2023, exposing 828,000 user records.
The online chess community, Chess.com, has suffered a data breach that has exposed the personal data of over 7.3 million users. The breach, which was reported on August 14, 2026, has raised concerns about the security of the platform and the potential for misuse of user data.
According to reports, the data breach was not caused by a server breach, but rather by large-scale scraping of user data. The data, which includes user names, email addresses, chess ratings, and other personal information, was leaked online and has since been shared on various data-leak forums.
The leaked data, which is estimated to be around 15.5 GB in size, is believed to have been collected using a technique that exploits the platform's find-friends feature. This technique allows users to resolve external email addresses against real accounts on the platform, potentially allowing attackers to collect user data without requiring authentication.
The data breach has been attributed to a user named V0idix, who has posted dozens of free database dumps across various unrelated companies. V0idix's actions are believed to be part of a larger trend of data scraping, where attackers collect large amounts of user data without permission.
The leaked data includes a range of personal information, including email addresses, user names, and chess ratings. However, it does not include any payment data or passwords, which is a relief for Chess.com users.
Despite the lack of payment data, the leaked data is still a serious concern for Chess.com users. Reused credentials, such as email addresses, can be used to create convincing phishing messages, potentially putting users at risk of financial loss or identity theft.
Chess.com has not commented on the data breach, but it has acknowledged that it has occurred in the past. In 2023, a similar data breach occurred, which exposed 828,000 user records. Chess.com stated at the time that the breach was not caused by a server breach, but rather by the exploitation of its find-friends feature.
The data breach has raised questions about the security of online platforms and the need for better data protection measures. It has also highlighted the importance of user education and awareness when it comes to online security.
In conclusion, the Chess.com data breach is a serious concern for users of the platform. While the breach was not caused by a server breach, it highlights the need for better data protection measures and user education.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Chesscom-Data-Breach-A-Case-of-Large-Scale-Scraping-of-User-Data-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/197174/breaking-news/chess-com-leak-exposes-7-3-million-users-evidence-points-to-scraping.html
Published: Sat Aug 15 21:56:08 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
