ClearVoice Surveys Data Breach: What Happened in April 2021?

ClearVoice Surveys, a site dedicated to gathering consumer feedback and opinions through online surveys, suffered a serious data breach in April 2021. Attackers gained access to a backup of the ClearVoice Surveys database dating back to 2015, which was inadvertently left publicly accessible. The breach led to the exposure and redistribution of over 17.5 million user records across hacking forums. Discovered and confirmed by ClearVoice Surveys, the leak impacted a wide range of personally identifiable information, including names, email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses, gender, dates of birth, and even users' plaintext passwords.

What Data Was Exposed in the ClearVoice Surveys Breach?

The compromised database included a broad array of sensitive data fields. Users' first and last names, email addresses, passwords, dates of birth, physical addresses (including street, city, and ZIP code), phone numbers, gender, and IP addresses were all exposed in the breach. The inclusion of plaintext passwords was particularly notable and increased the potential risk to affected individuals.

Timeline of the Breach

The underlying database originated from a backup created in 2015, but the breach itself occurred in April 2021. After being accessed, the data was distributed and discussed in cybercrime circles. Once ClearVoice Surveys became aware of the breach, they confirmed its legitimacy and began the process of addressing the incident and notifying affected parties.

Scope and Impact

In total, 17,560,100 records were exposed in the ClearVoice Surveys breach. This broad scope meant that millions of past and present survey participants were affected, with many having a full complement of sensitive information leaked. Because much of the exposed data related to personal contact details and login credentials, users faced increased risks of identity theft, phishing attempts, and credential reuse attacks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the ClearVoice Surveys data breach?

In April 2021, a publicly facing backup of ClearVoice Surveys from 2015 was accessed and shared online, exposing over 17.5 million user records with sensitive personal and account information.

How many people were affected in the ClearVoice Surveys breach?

The breach impacted 17,560,100 users, making it one of the larger survey platform data exposures in recent years.

What types of information were leaked in the ClearVoice Surveys breach?

The exposed data included first and last names, email addresses, plaintext passwords, dates of birth, physical addresses (street number and name, city, ZIP code), phone numbers, gender, and IP addresses.

How can I check if I'm in the ClearVoice Surveys breach?

You can check if your information was part of the ClearVoice Surveys breach by utilizing the DeHashed search engine.