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In late 2020, Nitro PDF, a popular digital document service, suffered a major security incident that ultimately exposed the personal data of over 70 million users. What Happened?
The breach occurred in September 2020 when an unauthorized third party gained access to Nitro’s online service databases. While Nitro initially described it as an "isolated security incident" with low impact, subsequent reports revealed a much larger scale of exposure.
A massive database—roughly 14GB in size—containing 77 million records was eventually leaked online. This data was initially auctioned for $80,000 before being released for free on hacker forums by a threat actor associated with the group ShinyHunters. What Data Was Exposed?
The stolen information included sensitive account details for both individual users and employees at major corporations like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Citibank. The specific data points leaked were: Full Names and Email Addresses
Bcrypt Password Hashes (secured, but still vulnerable to cracking) Document Titles from converted or shared files Company Names and IP Addresses
Location Details (City, State, Zip, Country) and Phone Numbers
Nitro confirmed that financial data was not impacted, and the breach primarily affected users of their free online conversion services rather than their desktop software like Nitro Pro. Steps to Protect Yourself
If you have ever used Nitro PDF’s online tools, you should take the following precautions: nitro pdf data breach
Check "Have I Been Pwned": Enter your email address at Have I Been Pwned to see if your data was part of this or any other breach.
Reset Your Password: If you use the same password for other accounts, change it immediately. Always use unique, strong passwords for every service.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adding an extra layer of security can prevent hackers from accessing your accounts even if they have your password.
Watch for Phishing: Be wary of unexpected emails. Stolen data like names and document titles can be used to create highly convincing phishing scams. Security & Compliance Overview | Nitro Software
The Nitro PDF data breach, first disclosed in late 2020, remains one of the most significant examples of a "third-party vendor" security failure due to its scale and the high profile of affected organizations. Executive Summary
In September 2020, Nitro Software, Inc. suffered a massive data breach involving an unauthorized third party gaining access to its databases. While initially described by the company as a "low impact security incident", it was later revealed that the breach exposed over 77 million user records and roughly 1 terabyte of documents Breach Timeline September 28, 2020 : The actual breach occurs. October 21, 2020
: Nitro Software issues an advisory to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) disclosing a "low impact security incident" with "no material impact". December 2020 In late 2020, Nitro PDF , a popular
: The stolen database is auctioned on the dark web for a starting price of $80,000. January 20, 2021 : A threat actor associated with the ShinyHunters group leaks the full database for free on a hacker forum. Exposed Data Categories
The breach involved approximately 14GB of data. Compromised information included: Personal Identifiers : Full names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Security Credentials : Bcrypt hashed passwords. Professional Details : Company names, job titles, and IP addresses. Document Metadata
: Titles of converted or processed documents, which often revealed sensitive business activities like M&A or product releases. Impact on Major Organizations
Nitro PDF’s client base includes some of the world's largest companies. Records related to employees at the following organizations were reportedly found in the leaked data: Tech Giants : Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Financial Institutions : Chase, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase. : Also listed among affected business customers. Response and Remediation Password Resets
: Nitro conducted a forced password reset for all users to secure accounts. System Hardening
: The company worked with cybersecurity experts to enhance logging, detection, and data monitoring protocols. User Action : Cybersecurity agencies like
advised users to change passwords immediately, especially if they reused them across other services. Lingering Risks The breach continues to be a tool for credential stuffing targeted phishing attacks working with expert Bob Diachenko
. Because document titles were leaked, attackers can craft highly convincing emails that reference specific, legitimate documents previously handled by the user.
You can check if your email was part of this incident through platforms like Have I Been Pwned Mozilla Monitor of the bcrypt hashes used or the compliance implications for the affected Fortune 500 companies?
Hacker leaks full database of 77 million Nitro PDF user records
If you reused your Nitro password on other sites (email, banking, social media, work tools), change those passwords now. Attackers will try your email+password combo across hundreds of popular services.
user_meta)Cybersecurity researchers at Comparitech, working with expert Bob Diachenko, discovered an unsecured MongoDB database containing 70 million user records. The database was publicly accessible without any authentication. The host of the database was confirmed to belong to Nitro Software.
In October 2020, Nitro Software, a popular provider of PDF editing and e-signature tools, confirmed a significant data breach. An unauthorized third party gained access to user accounts and databases. While Nitro acted quickly, the exposed data has since appeared on hacking forums, putting affected users at risk of credential stuffing attacks and phishing.
If you have a Nitro PDF Pro account (especially one created before October 2020), your email address and hashed password are likely compromised.