How a Telegram Upload Exposed 42,681 Logins in the 42k HQ Shopping Base

HEROIC analysts identified a combolist called 42k HQ Shopping base that was uploaded to a Telegram channel on February 11, 2023. The file contains 42,681 records pairing email addresses or usernames with plaintext passwords, along with URLs pointing to the shopping accounts they unlock. Why This Is Dangerous A single upload to a Telegram channel is all it took to put over 42,000 login credentials into circulation. Because the passwords are stored in plaintext, anyone who downloads the file can start testing the credentials right away, and the URLs make it simple to know exactly which shopping sites each login belongs to. What Was Exposed Email addresses Plaintext passwords URLs tied to each shopping account Why This Matters Shopping account logins are valuable to criminals because they often have saved payment methods attached. If an attacker successfully logs into one of these 42,681 accounts, they may be able to make purchases, change shipping details, or access stored payment information. This kind of leak also fuels credential stuffing attacks against banking and email accounts if the same password was reused elsewhere. How Combolist Attacks Work A combolist bundles usernames or emails with matching passwords, typically gathered from previous breaches, phishing campaigns, or malware infections, then compiled into one file for resale or free distribution. Because there is no encryption to break, a file like 42k HQ Shopping base can be used almost immediately once it starts circulating on Telegram or dark web forums. Check If You Are Affected If you have online shopping accounts and reuse passwords, it is worth checking whether your information appears in this leak. HEROIC's free breach scanner searches a database of more than 400 billion leaked records, so you can quickly find out if you were exposed and update your passwords before someone else uses them.