Snapchat hacked, 4.6 million usernames and linked phone numbers published

Details of 4.6 million users of the popular mobile photo-sharing service Snapchat have been leaked, if a new website called SnapchatDB! is to be believed.

A new website called SnapchatDB! is now live with tagline, "Bringing 4.6 million users' information to your fingertips..." The site is said to be made by a team of hackers who have posted downloadable 4.6 million usernames and phone numbers of Snapchat users. As of now, the leaked database on the SnapchatDB! site has listed downloadable phone numbers with the last two digits obfuscated.

However, the site by the anonymous hackers clearly said that, "For now, we have censored the last two digits of the phone numbers in order to minimize spam and abuse. Feel free to contact us to ask for the uncensored database. Under certain circumstances, we may agree to release it."

While there's no word on the authenticity of the database, especially with no statement forthcoming from Snapchat itself, TechCrunch believes it's real as at least one member of its editorial team has been affected.

The hackers behind SnapchatDB! say, "This database contains username and phone number pairs of a vast majority of the Snapchat users. This information was acquired through the recently patched Snapchat exploit and is being shared with the public to raise awareness on the issue. The company was too reluctant at patching the exploit until they knew it was too late and companies that we trust with our information should be more careful when dealing with it."

Snapchat is a photo messaging app which can be used for taking photos, recording videos, adding text and drawings, and sending them privately. The app is different from most messaging apps in that users can set a time limit for how long recipients can view their 'snaps', after which they will be hidden from the recipient's device and deleted from Snapchat's servers, making it an ideal 'sexting' app.

Snapchat was one of the top smartphone apps of 2013. The app was launched in 2011 and it grew rapidly to 13 million in October, 2013, as per Nielsen data.