An exploited bug in Instagram’s application programming interface allowed hackers to steal personal information from high-profile user accounts, the company said Wednesday.
“We recently discovered that one or more individuals obtained unlawful access to a number of high-profile Instagram users’ contact information — specifically email address and phone number — by exploiting a bug in an Instagram API,” a spokesperson for Instagram said in a statement to TIME.
A glitch in Instagram’s API made it possible for a person to get a set of code that potentially contained email addresses and phone numbers for Instagram accounts. At least one individual who found the bug used it to access information for some accounts.
According to Instagram, no account passwords were exposed and the company has fixed the bug. The Facebook-owned company said it believes the hack was targeting high-profile users, and has informed verified members of the service.
“As always, we encourage people to be vigilant about the security of their account and exercise caution if they encounter any suspicious activity such as unrecognized incoming calls, texts and emails,” the spokesperson said.
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