Adobe's 2013 breach stole 153M user records — and the source code for Photoshop

In October 2013, Adobe disclosed that hackers had accessed its systems and stolen approximately 153 million user records, including names, encrypted passwords and credit card numbers. The hackers also stole source code for Adobe's flagship products: Photoshop, Acrobat and ColdFusion.

The breach was notable for its dual impact: the user data theft affected millions of customers, and the source code theft gave competitors and malicious actors access to Adobe's most valuable intellectual property. The stolen ColdFusion source code was subsequently used in attacks against other organizations.

Adobe was criticized for its password storage practices (the passwords were encrypted but not hashed, making them vulnerable to decryption) and for its slow disclosure. The case illustrated how a breach can have two distinct impacts — customer data and intellectual property — and how the theft of source code can create a cascading risk that extends far beyond the breached company.