Instructure says its Canvas edtech platform has been restored after disabling it amid a data extortion attack claimed by ShinyHunters

An ongoing data extortion attack targeting the widely-used education technology platform Canvas disrupted classes and coursework …

Krebs on Security 2026-05-08 Brian Krebs

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Mark Orlando Mark Orlando on linkedin
ShinyHunters has breached the company behind #Canvas, a LMS used by about 40% of colleges and universities in North America. …
@linkletter.org Ian Linkletter on bluesky
A source close to the investigation who was not authorized to speak to the press told KrebsOnSecurity that a number of universities have already approached the cybercrime group about paying. — krebsonsecurity.com/2026/05/ canv...
@anecdotal Hollis Robbins on x
The real scandal in higher ed is the dependency on Canvas.
r/news r on reddit
Canvas hack strands university students during finals week
r/JJRaeSnark r on reddit
No daily update tomorrow. My world is on fire. Be kind to the educators and tech professionals in your life for the next few days.
@zackwhittaker@mastodon.social Zack Whittaker on mastodon
ICYMI: Hackers breached ed-tech giant Instructure for a second time, defacing dozens of school login pages and threatening to release stolen student data if the hackers aren't paid. — Instructure took down its data system, Canvas, for several hours overnight as students face fi…
r/Anu r on reddit
Yes Canvas is down worldwide, no it wasnt scheduled Instructure is lying
@kyrouz Bill Kyrouz on bluesky
As a former member of the EdTech community (Jenzabar) my thoughts are with the schools but also the infosec team coping with this.... www.cnn.com/2026/05/07/u...
@brunojnavarro Bruno J. Navarro on bluesky
The widely used digital learning platform Canvas was put into “maintenance mode” on Thursday after its maker, the education tech giant Instructure, suffered a data breach and faced an extortion attempt by attackers using the recognizable moniker “ShinyHunters.”
@ngate@mastodon.social @ngate@mastodon.social on mastodon
😂 Oh no, not the beloved Canvas LMS! How will students survive without their daily dose of glitchy course content and relentless notifications? Meanwhile, the #ransomware attackers are probably begging to give it back after realizing the code is as organized as a toddler's cray…
@jclarkcrp Jennifer Clark on bluesky
Ummm. I'd like to report a violation of the Institutional Data Policy 🙄. It's almost like requiring 40,000 university employees to take (and pass) a data security short course annually isn't actually providing data security? 🤔 🫠 — www.wired.com/story/canvas...
r/pwnhub r on reddit
The Canvas Hack Is a New Kind of Ransomware Debacle
@proffwolff Nate Wolff on x
Canvas is down ye say? Aye lad hearken to me and I'll tell thee a time when a man might say canvas was down! When the leviathan booms his bulk upon ye an thy splintered masts surrender their sails to the foaming merciless drink! then lad, ye might say with some authority that can
Jason Koebler Jason Koebler on linkedin
Canvas hack is extremely bad, the “biggest student data privacy disaster in history” because it contains billions of messages between students and their professors …
@Linkletter@mastodon.social Ian Linkletter on mastodon
It has been my mission for the past week to warn the public about the pending harms of the Instructure/Canvas hack. — I told 404 Media it is “the biggest student data privacy disaster in history” and am grateful I was able to share my concerns and help students. — https://www…
@shoq@mastodon.social @shoq@mastodon.social on mastodon
The Canvas Hack Is a New Kind of Ransomware Debacle — Thousands of schools around the US were paralyzed on Thursday after education tech firm Instructure shut down access to its Canvas platform following a breach by hackers going by the name ShinyHunters. — https://www.wired.…
@vxunderground @vxunderground on x
I can assert with a high degree of confidence ShinyHunters did not exfiltrate highly sensitive information. Based on information I've received the primary information stolen from the schools is student names and email addresses. Furthermore, this has been confirmed by various
@princeton @princeton on x
Good news: Canvas is back. Bad news: Cybercriminals often strike following disruptions. 👀 Phishing attempts often increase during periods of disruption such as the recent Canvas outage. ➡️ Watch for suspicious messages or phone calls referencing Canvas, courses, or account [image…
@bing_guan @bing_guan on x
My simmering hatred of Canvas (and refusal to run a course entirely thru it) has been vindicated. But also if Columbia had better IT assets, I wouldn't have to run my photojournalism classes off a personal Dropbox Pro acct for lack of an FTP server
@dorismatsui Rep. Doris Matsui on x
I am closely monitoring the Canvas hack that disrupted thousands of college students' finals week. Cyberattacks on schools and public institutions are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. Protecting students, educators, and sensitive information must be a top
@damonlinker Damon Linker on x
So ... Canvas is down. Every reading this semester, as well as every Powerpoint for my lectures (made available to students so they can study for their final on Monday), as well as every grade and submitted assignment, is on Canvas. Dead in the water here in academia right now.
@racheltobac Rachel Tobac on x
Apparently nerds + folks claiming to know how Canvas was breached are saying that they got in via “Vishing” (phone call phishing). This is a main way that ShinyHunters (and folks who emulate them) attack, they call to steal credentials & codes. Curious to see what gets confirmed.
@bridgetphetasy Bridget Phetasy on x
Tell me again why we should identify every child online with their biometrics and submit all our information as well? None of these companies are trustworthy. Resist the urge to close the internet out of misguided safetyism. We deserve anonymity online and off. Privacy is
@reclaimuc @reclaimuc on x
in light of the canvas hack, it's worth remembering that canvas/instructure is a private ed tech company that seeks profits from “aggregating and monetizing student data.” much like the hackers, the company aims to profit from access to student data. https://www.chronicle.com/...
@racheltobac Rachel Tobac on x
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@graveyardxgf Sam on x
what do you MEAN canvas got hacked and is being held for ransom i have a final rn!!!!!!
@vxunderground @vxunderground on x
ShinyHunters got access to Canvas infrastructure from ... “Vishing”. Social engineering. WHY IS IT ALWAYS FUCKING SOCIAL ENGINEERING [image]
@repdonbeyer Rep. Don Beyer on x
9,000 schools across the country are being affected by a massive hack right now that is shutting down Canvas during finals week for millions of American students (including me). It would be nice if we had an FBI Director focused on responding to things like this with the same
@jason_koebler Jason Koebler on x
Canvas hack is extremely bad, the “biggest student data privacy disaster in history” because it contains billions of messages between students and their professors, which can be extremely sensitive: [image]
@uofmaryland @uofmaryland on x
Canvas is restored. Following an assessment by the Division of IT, access is being fully restored at UMD. We remain vigilant in assessing this situation and ask that you report any issues you may notice while using the platform to itsupport@umd.edu. Continue to check [image]
@alleniverxyn @alleniverxyn on x
how bored you gotta be to hack canvas
@dorismatsui Rep. Doris Matsui on bluesky
I am closely monitoring the Canvas hack that disrupted thousands of college students' finals week. — Cyberattacks on schools and public institutions are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. Protecting students, educators, and sensitive information must be a top prior…
The College Fix Michael Haak on x
Cyberattack prompts finals panic at Liberty U., campuses across the U.S.

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Instructure says its Canvas edtech platform has been restored after disabling it amid a data extortion attack claimed by ShinyHunters

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