Facebook Data Breach
Status: Confirmed
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: Facebook · Actor: Unknown · Source: DataBreach.com / ObscureIQ intelligence
Attack: Social Engineering via Social engineering
Timeline: Breach (Aug, 2019) · Reported (Apr, 2021) · Leak (12/1/24)
Exposure: 509.5M+ records · Dates of birth, Email, Employers, Genders, Geographic locations, Name, Names, Phone Number, Phone numbers, Relationship statuses
Status: Confirmed · Risk: Moderate (Phishing / SIM swap)
Summary
In August 2019 Facebook experienced a significant data breach that compromised the personal information of over 500 million users. This breach was primarily due to a vulnerability in Facebook’s contact importer feature which allowed attackers to scrape users’ phone numbers and associate them with their Facebook profiles. The exposed data included phone numbers full names locations birthdates bios and in some cases email addresses. Notably the breach did not involve passwords or financial information. ​ The vulnerability exploited in this breach had been present for several years and researchers had previously reported similar issues to Facebook. Despite these warnings the company did not implement adequate safeguards to prevent such data scraping. Facebook claimed to have fixed the vulnerability in August 2019 but the breach resurfaced in 2021 when the scraped data was made publicly available on a cybercrime forum. ​ The exposure of this data posed significant risks to users as phone numbers can be used for social engineering attacks phishing and other malicious activities. Despite the scale of the breach Facebook chose not to notify affected users individually citing the age of the data and the inability to determine which users were impacted. ​ In response to the breach Facebook’s parent company Meta faced legal challenges. In November 2024 a German court ruled that users affected by the breach were eligible for compensation even without proof of specific financial losses. The court determined that the loss of control over personal data justified damages, overturning a previous lower court decision.
About Facebook
Facebook is the organization affected by this breach. User data may have been generated through account creation, service usage, or business operations.
If you have interacted with Facebook in any capacity, your data may be included in this breach.
Threat Actor: Unknown
The threat actor responsible for this breach has not been publicly identified or confirmed at this time.
- Social engineering
Breach Exploitation Status
Moderate
Status
Detected
Possible
Possible
Unknown
Unknown
1–3 years
Email addresses and usernames persist but credentials may rotate. Phishing risk remains elevated during this window.
Data Points Exposed
Dark Web Verification
Status: Confirmed
- Dataset containing approximately 509.5M+ records has been identified in breach intelligence sources.
- The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.
Impact
This breach carries moderate risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.
- Targeted phishing referencing Facebook accounts or services
- SIM-swap attempts where phone numbers are present
- Age/DOB used to bypass identity verification questions
- Data broker enrichment and resale
Recommendations for Impacted Individuals
If you believe your information may be included:
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.
Facebook account updates
Password reset requests
Verify directly through official channels.
Email compromise is often the first pivot point.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Aug, 2019, Facebook experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of approximately 509.5M+ records containing personal information.
The exposed data includes Dates of birth, Email, Employers, Genders, Geographic locations, Name, Names, Phone Number, Phone numbers, Relationship statuses.
Approximately 509.5M+ records were affected based on current breach intelligence.
Yes. This breach is treated as confirmed based on data observed in breach intelligence platforms.
Data circulation has been detected across breach-sharing channels. Downstream exploitation risk exists based on the nature of the exposed fields.
Rotate passwords associated with Facebook, enable multi-factor authentication on email and financial accounts, and monitor for suspicious activity.
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Corporate Accountability
Organizations that collect personal data have a duty to implement reasonable safeguards and to notify affected individuals when breaches occur.
Scope assessments may evolve as investigations continue. Users should not rely solely on early estimates when making risk decisions.
ObscureIQ Advisory
We combine proprietary dark web access with commercial and restricted breach intelligence to verify exposure and assess real-world risk.
- A public-facing individual
- A high-profile executive
- A customer of Facebook
- Or simply concerned about credential reuse
We can confirm whether your information is circulating and evaluate downstream threat vectors.