Hackers Threaten to Leak 2.1M Discord Users’ Passport and License Data in Extortion Attack

Discord faces a significant security crisis after hackers breached its third-party Zendesk support system, stealing 1.5 terabytes of sensitive user data. The compromised files include 2.1 million passport and driver’s license photos submitted for age verification. The attackers are now demanding a ransom to prevent public leakage.

The breach, confirmed by Discord on October 3, raises serious concerns about data protection in crypto-adjacent platforms. While no cryptocurrency exchanges or digital assets were directly compromised, the incident underscores systemic vulnerabilities in web3 infrastructure. Cybersecurity researchers at VX-Underground first exposed the threat via social media.

This incident occurs amid growing regulatory scrutiny of identity verification processes across crypto platforms. The stolen government IDs could potentially be exploited for fraudulent KYC attempts on exchanges. Discord’s automated moderation system, which triggered the age verification requests, now stands as an unwitting accomplice to mass data exposure.