The 1.023 HOTMAIL Dump Put 881 Hotmail Accounts at Risk

HEROIC Analysts Uncover the 1.023 HOTMAIL Combolist

HEROIC's dark web monitoring team identified a combolist named "1.023 HOTMAIL" that was uploaded to a Telegram channel on October 12, 2024. The file contains 881 records pairing email addresses with plaintext passwords and the URLs those credentials unlock, all tied to Hotmail accounts.

Why This Is Dangerous

The passwords in this file are stored in plaintext, so anyone who downloads it can read and use the credentials right away, no cracking needed. Paired with the login URL for each account, an attacker can sign into any of the 881 affected inboxes directly, and from there reset passwords on other services linked to that email address.

What Was Exposed

• Email addresses
• Plaintext passwords
• URLs linking each credential pair to the account they unlock

Why This Matters

Email access is one of the most valuable things an attacker can take, since it's usually the key to resetting passwords on banking, shopping, and social accounts. Anyone in this file who reused their Hotmail password elsewhere is at risk of credential stuffing, account takeover, and the identity theft or financial fraud that often follows.

How Combolists Work

A combolist bundles email or username and password pairs into a single file, often sorted by the email provider it targets, which is why this one is labeled "1.023 HOTMAIL." Sorting by provider makes it easier for whoever buys the file to run automated login attempts against that specific service.

Check If You Are Affected

If you use or have used a Hotmail account, it's worth a quick check. HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your email address against a database of more than 400 billion leaked records, including combolists like 1.023 HOTMAIL, so you can find out in seconds whether your credentials are exposed.