HIGH SEVERITYEducation

Duolingo Data Breach

Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence

6.0Severity
2.7MRecords
4Data Fields
2023Year

Impact & Downstream Threats

This breach carries high risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.

Primary downstream threats:
  • Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses

Breach Intelligence

EntityDuolingo
OrganizationPublic Company • USA
Breach DateJanuary 2023
DisclosureJanuary 2025
Records Exposed~2.7M
Attack VectorData Scraping
SourceHave I Been Pwned / DataBreach.com / ObscureIQ intelligence
StatusConfirmed

Executive Summary

In August 2023, 2.6M records of data scraped from Duolingo were broadly distributed on a popular hacking forum. Obtained by enumerating a vulnerable API, the data had earlier appeared for sale in January 2023 and contained email addresses, names, the languages being learned, XP (experience points), and other data related to learning progress on Duolingo. Whilst some of the data attributes are intentionally public, the ability to map private email addresses to them presents an ongoing risk to user privacy.

About Duolingo

Language learning platform with gamified lessons.

Public CompanyUSAduolingo.com

Data Points Exposed

Verified fields in the released dataset:
Email addresses
Full names
Spoken language
Usernames

Dark Web Verification

Status: Confirmed

  • Dataset containing approximately 2.7M records identified in breach intelligence sources.
  • The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.

Recommended Actions

⚠️ Do not assume this is low sensitivity.

Expect Targeted Phishing
Watch for emails referencing this breach. Verify communications through official channels.
Secure Email & Enable MFA
Email compromise is often the first pivot point. Enable multi-factor authentication.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Watch for unauthorized credit applications and suspicious activity.
Check Your Exposure
ObscureIQ clients: this breach is indexed in your profile.
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the Duolingo data breach?

In January 2023, Duolingo experienced a data breach that exposed approximately 2.7M records containing personal information.

What data was exposed?

The exposed data includes fields such as email address, full name, spoken language, username.

How many records were affected?

Approximately 2.7M records were affected based on current breach intelligence.

Protect Yourself

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ObscureIQ Advisory

We combine proprietary dark web access with commercial and restricted breach intelligence to verify exposure and assess real-world risk.

If you are:
  • A public-facing individual
  • A high-profile executive
  • A customer of Duolingo
  • Or concerned about credential reuse
Services
AuditsWipesThreat MonitoringTraining

Classification Tags

Data ScrapingEducationEmail

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