IP Addresses, Usernames, Passwords: 000webhost’s 12.5M Breach

HEROIC analysts examined the 000webhost breach, which occurred around February 2015 and exposed 12,501,167 records from the free web hosting provider. The compromised data included IP addresses, email addresses, usernames, and passwords stored in plaintext, meaning no hashing or encryption protected user credentials at all.

Why Plaintext Passwords at This Scale Are So Damaging

With more than 12.5 million accounts affected, this wasn't a small leak of readable passwords, it was a massive one. Anyone who obtained this data could read every password directly, with no cracking required. Add in the IP addresses collected alongside each account, and attackers gain an extra layer of identifying detail that can help link an account to a real person or location.

What Was Exposed in the 000webhost Breach

• IP addresses
• Email addresses
• Usernames
• Plaintext passwords

Why This Matters More Than a Decade Later

Hosting accounts are often tied to a person's website, domain management, and sometimes billing details, making them valuable targets beyond a simple login. Because the passwords in this breach were never hashed, they remain just as usable to an attacker today as the day they were stolen. If you used your 000webhost password anywhere else, that reused password is a direct path to credential stuffing, account takeover, identity theft, and financial fraud on whatever other accounts share it.

How a Database Breach Like This Happens

A database breach occurs when an attacker finds a way into the systems storing a company's user records, commonly through an unpatched software vulnerability, a misconfigured server, or a flaw in how the website handles data requests. Once inside, the attacker can copy out entire tables of user information in one pass. Free hosting platforms are frequent targets because they manage huge numbers of accounts, often with legacy code that hasn't kept pace with modern security standards.

Check If Your Email Was Exposed in This or Any Other Breach

You don't have to wonder if your information is out there. HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your email against a database of more than 400 billion leaked records, including this 000webhost breach, and tells you right away if you're affected. If you find a match, change that password everywhere you've reused it and turn on multi-factor authentication wherever it's offered. Scan now to check your exposure.