ReverbNation 2014 Data Breach
ObscureIQ Breach Intelligence
Low SeverityWebsite / service breach
ReverbNation Music Promotion Platform Breach (2014, Disclosed 2016): 7 Million User Email Addresses & Passwords Exposed
Music promotion and distribution platform.
Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence
8/100Breach Risk Index
3Data Value
10Market Recency
3198dSince Breach
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: ReverbNation · Actor: Unknown · Sources: 5 references
Attack: Third-Party Vendor
Profile: Platform · Music promotion and artist tools · Creator services platform · Global
Timeline: Breach (2014-01-01) · Indexed (Oct 05, 2017) · Year (2014)
Exposure: 7.0M records · 2 fields: Email Address, Password
Status: Confirmed
Executive Summary
In January 2014, ReverbNation suffered a data breach that was not identified until September 2015. An individual illegally accessed a ReverbNation vendor’s systems and reached a backup of the user database, exposing over 7 million accounts. Confirmed-circulating data comprised email addresses and passwords stored as salted SHA-1 hashes. No credit-card data was accessed.
ObscureIQ assessment: The breach notification indicated names, addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth may also have been accessed, but only email and hashed passwords are confirmed circulating; the broader PII is carried as latent worst-case.
Breach Impact
Salted SHA-1 slows but does not prevent recovery of weak passwords, exposing reused credentials to stuffing attacks; the musician-focused user base may face targeted phishing.
About ReverbNation
ReverbNation is an online platform that helps independent musicians and artists build their careers through promotion, distribution, and fan-engagement tools.
Why They Hold Your Data
Creator-service platforms collect artist identity, contact details, fan engagement records, music-promotion activity, account data, and payment-adjacent or subscription records across music-marketing workflows.
Recent Developments
ReverbNation notified users in 2015 after discovering the breach, and the individual responsible was later identified and charged.
Data Points Exposed
2 verified field types
Email Address
Password Critical
Field names are shown in full for clarity and search visibility. Canonical machine keys are emitted only in this page’s structured data.
Exploitation & Downstream Threats
Threat Activity:Moderate
Primary downstream threats:
- Credential stuffing against reused passwords across other platforms
- Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
Threat vectors:
- Phishing, credential stuffing & account takeover
- Credential stuffing & account takeover
Recommended Actions
If you believe your information may be included:
Change Reused Passwords
Update this account and anywhere you reused the password; use a manager.
Enable MFA Everywhere
Turn on multi-factor authentication on email first, then financial accounts.
Report & Recover
If you spot misuse, start an official recovery plan and report fraud.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the ReverbNation breach?▾
In January 2014, ReverbNation suffered a data breach that was not identified until September 2015. An individual illegally accessed a ReverbNation vendor’s systems and reached a backup of the user database, exposing over 7 million accounts. Confirmed-circulating data comprised email addresses and…
What data was exposed?▾
Verified fields include Email Address, Password.
What should I do if I was affected?▾
Change reused passwords, enable MFA, and (if identity or financial data is involved) freeze your credit and monitor your accounts.
Sources & References
Every claim on this page is traceable. This breach draws on:
Breach Index
Cross-source
9ghz
Cross-source
BreachForums_Official_Index
Cross-source
Dehashed
ObscureIQ Intelligence
ObscureIQ proprietary analysis
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