The 135k Private Base Leak Dates to 2023 but Just Went Public

HEROIC analysts identified a combolist labeled "135k private base" that was originally compiled around February 2023 and has since been shared by a Telegram user. The file contains 134,999 records pairing email addresses with plaintext passwords and the URLs each login was tied to. Why this is dangerous: because the passwords are stored in plaintext, this file lets anyone who obtains it attempt logins right away, with no cracking or password recovery needed. Even though the data is a few years old, plenty of people never change their passwords, so a large share of these credentials may still be valid today. What was exposed: email addresses, plaintext passwords, and associated URLs indicating where each credential was originally used. Why this matters: with close to 135,000 records in play, this is a sizable pool for attackers to run through automated login attempts. If any of these users reused the same password elsewhere, criminals can use credential stuffing to break into email, banking, or social media accounts, leading to account takeover or identity theft. How combolists like this one work: a combolist bundles email addresses or usernames with passwords, often pulled together from multiple older breaches, malware logs, or scraped sources, then labeled as a single file and shared or sold across Telegram channels and dark web forums. Because the credentials are already paired and organized, they make it easy for attackers to automate large-scale login attempts against many services at once. Check if you are affected: with well over 130,000 records in this file, there is a real chance your information is included. HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your email address against a database of more than 400 billion leaked records so you can quickly find out and take action if needed.