The breach occurred when a third-party support agent’s account was compromised, leading to unauthorized access to the agent’s support ticket queue.

As a result, user email addresses, customer service messages, and any attachments sent between users and Discord may have been exposed to a third party.

The exact number of users impacted by the recent data breach remains undisclosed at this time. Discord encourages affected users to remain cautious and report any suspicious activities. 

“Due to the nature of the incident, it is possible that your email address, the contents of customer service messages and any attachments sent between you and Discord may have been exposed to a third party,” said Discord in an email sent to impacted users.

In response to the incident, Discord took immediate action by deactivating the compromised account and conducting malware checks on the affected machine. The company has also collaborated with its customer service partner to enhance their practices and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

“While we believe the risk is limited, it is recommended that you be vigilant for any suspicious messages or activity, such as fraud or phishing attempts,” said Discord to impacted users.

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This is not the first time Discord has faced security challenges. In 2021, the platform was targeted by multi-function malware designed to exploit its core functions and transform targeted machines into malicious bots.

Additionally, Discord has experienced attempts to misuse the platform as a malicious file hosting service.

Discord’s revenue has jumped from $5 million (£3.9m) in the year after it was founded, to $428 million (£392m). The platform’s popularity with the gaming community has seen it grow from 56 million monthly active users in 2019, to a projected 200 million monthly active users by the end of 2023, making it an increasingly attractive target for malicious actors.