A recent breach involving the software company Salesforce (CRM) has escalated into a global cybersecurity crisis, affecting companies such as Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google. Recently, about 2.5 million Gmail users may have been affected by a breach that allowed hackers to craft highly convincing scam messages, tricking people into giving away private account details.
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Here’s How Gmail Got Pulled into the Salesforce Breach
The attack began when threat actors exploited CRM’s integration with Google’s corporate systems. Using social engineering, hackers convinced a Google employee to authorize a malicious connected app and were able to briefly access data about GOOGL’s small and medium-sized business customers.
Although passwords were not stolen, the attackers have obtained contact names, business details, internal notes, and metadata tied to Gmail communications.
This data is now being used to send convincing fake emails and security alerts, often using Google’s 650-area-code phone numbers. Victims are being asked to reset passwords or approve login codes, giving attackers full access to their Gmail accounts.
Google has confirmed the breach and issued a global warning, urging users to immediately change passwords, enable two-factor authentication (2FA), and avoid clicking on links from unknown senders.
Luxury and Tech Companies Caught in Cyberattack
Hackers from the ShinyHunters group have been stealing data from Salesforce customers since early 2025. They use a trick called “social engineering,” in which they call employees pretending to be IT support and convince them to install a fake app. This allows hackers to bypass normal security and access sensitive customer data.
Apart from Google, several consumer brands and tech companies have been targeted in this campaign. These include Louis Vuitton (LVMUY), Christian Dior (FR:CDI), Chanel, Adidas (ADDYY), Workday (WDAY), Qantas (QUBSF), and Allianz Life.
Is CRM a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, CRM stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 28 Buys, 10 Holds, and one Sell assigned in the last three months. At $342.18, the average Salesforce stock price target implies a 35.02% upside potential.
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