Tea App Data Breach Exposes 13,000 User Selfies and IDs via Unauthorized Access to Systems

• Data breach: A significant cybersecurity incident involved the leak of user images from posts, comments, and direct messages.
• Tea acknowledgement: The women-dedicated app confirmed identifying unauthorized access to its systems.
• What was compromised: Users’ 13,000 selfies and photo IDs were exposed, along with almost 60,000 other shared images.

The Tea app data breach exposed sensitive user data, and its owners confirmed on Friday that hackers gained “unauthorized access to its systems,” compromising 72,000 images. The free app claims to have more than 1.6 million users and is known for allowing women to anonymously comment on their dating experiences.  

Breach Details and Data Exposed  

The images leaked include 13,000 selfies and photo IDs submitted by users for account verification, alongside 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages. According to Tea’s official statement, the breach only affects users who signed up before February 2024. 

TechNadu found a clear image collage posted on Facebook by a user claiming to be from the Tea app breach, reportedly of its users; they could not be verified.

Importantly, the company has clarified that no emails or phone numbers were exposed during the attack.  

The data breach likely stems from an exposed database hosted on Google’s mobile app development platform, Firebase, with reports emerging of the stolen data being shared on 4chan, according to 404 Media. The forum’s users say the leaked pictures are available via a public bucket.

This incident coincides with the app's recent surge in popularity, which has propelled it to the top of Apple’s free app rankings.  

The Company's Response  

Tea has acted swiftly, engaging third-party cybersecurity experts and implementing additional security measures. The company stated, “We are working around the clock to secure our systems and have resolved the vulnerabilities that led to this situation.” 

Enhanced protections are now in place, though the company has not disclosed further technical specifics or announced a timeline for notifying affected users.  

Implications  

This user image exposure highlights the pressing need for robust defenses against cyberattacks, particularly for platforms handling sensitive personal data. 

In other news, 300,000 McDonald’s login credentials were allegedly leaked in a multi-country breach this month. On the brighter side, authorities are now able to investigate cybercrime forum members after a Leak Zone database breach compromised user IP addresses.