University of Nebraska details nationwide hack to Canvas learning management system

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The University of Nebraska System on Thursday detailed a nationwide hack of Canvas, a learning management system used by the school.

According to the university system, a threat actor has interrupted access to Canvas for users on all four NU campuses and campuses nationwide on Thursday.

A similar incident was reported on May 1 by Instructure, the parent company of Canvas.

The university said it has received confirmation from Instructure that the company is aware of the problem and is actively working to resolve it.

According to Penn State University’s student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian, the cybercrime group ShinyHunters is locking users out of the interface.

Many students and staff have received the following message when logging onto the platform:

SHINYHUNTERS: Rooting your systems since ’19;)

ShinyHunters has breached Instructure (again). Instead of contacting us to resolve it they ignored us and did some “security patches”.

WARNING

If any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber advisory firm and contact us privately at TOX to negotiate a settlement. You have till the end of the day by 12 May 2026 before everything is leaked.

Instructure still has until EOD 12 May 2026 to contact us.

 

UNL students detailed what they were seeing when this all played out. “My friends were trying to study, and then a message showed up from the hackers on the screen,” said Lydia Wagner, a junior at UNL. “Everyone was like, what’s going on?”

According to the university system, this is a vendor-driven, nationwide event affecting multiple institutions.

During finals week at UNL, many students are receiving the following message when trying to access Canvas:

Many students at UNL were in shock with what happened.

““It’s just shocking something at this level could happen,” said Kellen Ruch.”

“I was surprised because people usually forget about Nebraska, but I was like oh wow this does affect my school for once,” said UNL freshman Maya Brown.

“I was kind of shocked, not going to lie,” said Emmy Keller. “I still don’t understand what happened.”

Students at Southeast Community College, York University, Doane and Creighton receive the same message.

NU ITS said it will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as the investigation continues.

This is a developing story. Check back with Channel 8 for updates.