The Student Newspaper of Mizzou since 1955

The Maneater
The Student Newspaper of Mizzou since 1955

The Maneater
The Student Newspaper of Mizzou since 1955

The Maneater

Mizzou Canvas shuts down after ShinyHunters cyberattack

A message from threat actor group ShinyHunters appeared on student Canvas pages around 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, shutting down the application indefinitely
Erin Hynes, News Editor
May 7, 2026
Jack Andersen/The Maneater
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May 08, 2026, 11:17 am

UM System Canvas operational again after ShinyHunters cyberattack

Around 9:50 a.m. CDT, UM Vice President for Information Technology & MU Chief Information Officer Ben Canlas and Chief Online Learning & Technology Officer Stephanie McClelland sent an email updating UM System schools on the Canvas Learning Management System outage.

According to the email, the UM System confirmed that Canvas is operational following Infrastructure’s recovery efforts.

Canlas noted in the email that some Canvas functions, such as Honorlock, are still unavailable.

UM System recommends all users reset their single sign-on password following these guidelines from the university.

Officials also recommend that users not click on or accept any unprompted downloads within Canvas applications.

Users are advised to use caution when opening any unexpected emails that seemingly come from Canvas or Instructure. UM System warns that cyberattackers may use this incident to target Canvas users through phishing attempts.

MU Provost Matthew Martens sent an email around 10:27 a.m. with more information for the Mizzou community, reemphasizing precautions Canvas users should take to avoid phishing scams.

In the email, Martens states that Instructure indicated that there are no ongoing security concerns associated with using Canvas.

Martens asked instructors to download current gradebooks and make contingency plans for final exams and assignments in the event of another outage.

Edited by Maggie LeBeau | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]
This story is ongoing and will be updated as more information is available.

The University of Missouri joins nearly 9,000 universities impacted by a Canvas breach.

Around 3 p.m. CDT Thursday, Mizzou’s Canvas Learning Management System displayed a black screen with a message from threat actor group ShinyHunters, stating that Canvas had been breached.

The message appeared briefly before being replaced by a screen stating, “Canvas is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance. Check back soon.”

According to the university’s IT system status page, Canvas is investigating the “technical issues.” The university has not provided a timeline for when Canvas will be back up.

Nearly 9,000 schools worldwide are affected by the Canvas hack, according to Ransomware. live, an independent website that tracks cyberattacks.

Canvas collects information such as one’s full name, email address, password, date of birth and information from one’s academic institution.

All content submitted to Canvas, such as essays, videos, discussion posts and direct messages are collected.

The initial attack is estimated to have occurred on May 5. Universities such as Duke University, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Pennsylvania have also reported being affected by the cyberattack.

ShinyHunters is asking universities on the list of affected schools to contact ShinyHunters using TOX, a software that is encrypted and has no central servers to store, trace or leak data.

The note from ShinyHunters states that Instructure, the developer and publisher of Canvas, has until the end of day on May 12 to contact ShinyHunters. If Instructure does not comply, ShinyHunters said “everything” will be leaked.

The university has made faculty aware of the situation as of 3:41 p.m.

At 4:30 p.m., Mizzou sent a message through MU Alerts stating the following: “We are aware that the Canvas online learning management system is down, as it is for universities across the nation. We will work with Canvas to restore access as soon as possible. Updates for the campus community will be posted at: status.missouri.edu.”

 

Edited by Mary Corkery | [email protected]
Copy edited by Ava Mohror | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]
About the Authors
Erin Hynes
Erin Hynes, News Editor
Erin Hynes is a News Editor for The Maneater. She is a sophomore journalism student from Louisville, Ky. Hynes is also a part of the Honors Program. Outside of The Maneater, Hynes is the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus at Mizzou. In her free time, she enjoys collecting vinyl records, reading books recommended by friends and exploring new places.
Jack Andersen
Jack Andersen, Joint-Visuals Director
Jack Andersen is a Joint-Visuals Director for The Maneater. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism and strategic communication through the MU Honors School of Journalism with a minor in theatre. In addition to his editorial role, Jack enjoys creating visuals for The Maneater graphics and photo staffs. Jack is also a member of the Alumni Association Student Board (AASB), the Managing Director of Visual Communications Club, Secretary of Alpha Psi Omega, and a part of Kappa Alpha Mu, PRSSA and Veritas. When not working in the classroom or newsroom, Jack can be found onstage in Mizzou Theatre productions, hanging out with friends, and covering the many events Mizzou has to offer.