29,390 Passwords From the 000webhost Forum Breach Hit the Dark Web

HEROIC analysts identified this breach affecting 000webhost Forum, originally dated January 8, 2016, exposing 29,390 user records. The dataset includes IP addresses, hashed password data, email addresses, usernames, and passwords, and it continues to circulate in dark web credential collections used for automated account takeover attempts.

Why This Is Dangerous

Anyone still using the login combination they set up on the 000webhost Forum in 2016 is exposed to more than just a forum account takeover. Attackers plug email and password pairs like these into automated tools that test the same credentials against banking sites, email providers, and shopping accounts. If the password was reused anywhere else, that account is at risk too.

What Was Exposed

• IP addresses
• Email addresses
• Usernames
• Passwords (vBulletin hash format)

Why This Matters

This breach matters because it's rarely just about the forum itself. Attackers use combinations of email and password data to run credential stuffing campaigns, attempting the same login on dozens of other sites in seconds. Combined with IP address data, it can also help attackers build a fuller profile of a target for phishing or account recovery abuse. Anyone who reused this password elsewhere, especially on email or financial accounts, faces a real risk of account takeover and identity theft.

How This Database Breach Happened

This incident falls into the category of a database breach: a direct compromise of a site's backend, typically achieved through an unpatched vulnerability, SQL injection, or stolen administrator access. Once inside, attackers export the entire user table, including hashed passwords, and package it for resale or free distribution on dark web forums. Forum software from this era, including vBulletin, often used weaker hashing methods that are far easier to crack with modern computing power, which is why breaches like this one remain useful to attackers a decade later.

Check If You Are Affected

You don't have to guess whether your information is part of this breach or any of the thousands of others like it. HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your email address against a database of more than 400 billion leaked records, including this one, and tells you immediately if you're exposed. Run a free scan now and find out what action you need to take.