In a recent statement, Valve, the prominent gaming company behind the Steam platform, addressed concerns regarding alleged breaches of user data. The company firmly refuted claims of a significant hack involving Steam account information, clarifying that reports of leaked two-factor authentication text messages do not indicate any compromise of its internal systems.
Clarification on Data Leak
Valve elaborated on the situation through a detailed post on its website, emphasizing that the source of the leak is still under investigation. The company noted the inherent vulnerabilities associated with SMS messages, which are transmitted unencrypted and pass through various providers before reaching their destination. “The leak consisted of older text messages that included one-time codes that were only valid for 15-minute time frames and the phone numbers they were sent to,” Valve explained.
Importantly, the leaked data did not link phone numbers to any Steam accounts, nor did it expose passwords, payment details, or other sensitive personal information. Valve reassured users that old text messages cannot be utilized to compromise Steam account security. Furthermore, any attempt to change a Steam email or password using SMS will trigger a confirmation sent via email or secure Steam messages, adding an extra layer of protection.
This clarification comes in the wake of allegations from Underdark.ai, which claimed on LinkedIn that a malicious entity was attempting to sell a dataset containing over 89 million Steam user records—representing approximately 67.4 percent of the platform’s reported 132 million total users. However, the credibility of these claims is questionable, particularly given the low asking price of ,000 for the dataset, which translates to less than per user. Such a valuation raises eyebrows about the authenticity and value of the purported data.
As Valve continues to investigate the matter, users are encouraged to remain vigilant and informed about their account security while the company works to ensure the integrity of its systems.
