( CNN ) -- What happens on social media does n't always stay on social media . That may be the unfortunate lesson for those who 've recently had private photos accessed and shared due to a privacy gap on the photo-sharing website Photobucket . Nude , explicit , and R-rated images uploaded on the social media site were in some cases made available to view on public Web forums dedicated to exploiting Photobucket 's privacy settings . The breach was first reported last week by BuzzFeed . The breach of privacy `` is a very rare occurrence that has affected only a small number of Photobucket 's users , '' said Photobucket spokesman David Toner . But the forums , some filled with stolen racy pictures and others with instructions on how to access more , have drawn thousands of viewers . While users who post unencrypted photos on Photobucket can make their albums password protected , individual photos , even in a private album , can be shared with others through a direct web link or URL . Hackers versed in Photobucket 's privacy settings can access unencrypted pictures in password-protected albums by using software that deduces the direct web link , a practice commonly known as `` fusking . '' With a Photobucket username and a list of common titles for photos , fusking software can extract images from private albums by finding patterns in the posted pictures . For instance , if an album has an image titled IMG_03 , hackers may deduce that there is an IMG_06 and IMG_07 . They can then access the images by guessing the direct link , even if the photos are in a password protected album . Photobucket says it 's aware of fusking and has made efforts to limit the number of accounts hacked . `` Scrambled URLs have been an option for the past two years and will be the default for all new uploads , '' Toner said . `` The company is in the process of reminding users about the option to scramble URLs to prevent fusking . '' The scrambled URLs make it more difficult for hackers to guess sequences of images and find those meant to be kept secret . But if users have not applied the encryption , photos may remain vulnerable . `` There are additional technical flags and safeguards in place when we suspect that fusking is being attempted ; however , we have also taken several actions that will plug any existing holes that allow this activity , '' Toner added . `` Privacy settings on social media sites just ca n't keep up with how fast technology is adapting , '' said Ethan Wall , a social media attorney in Miami . `` As sites get more private , hackers and people who want to get more information will continue to get more sophisticated . '' The responsibility , however , ultimately rests with the user . `` What you say and do on social media can be used against you and it can be found , '' Wall added . `` If you do n't want someone else to see it , do n't post it . ''
Some private photos on Photobucket were improperly accessed and shared . Hackers using a practice known as `` fusking '' to gain access to images . Photobucket to start using scrambled URLs to combat fusking . Comment: