Smaller Than a Megabreach, the Abandonia Leak Still Hit 45,463 Gamers

HEROIC analysts identified a breach connected to Abandonia, a gaming site at abandonia.com known for hosting abandonware titles, that exposed 45,463 user records. The breach dates back to November 10, 2015, and the exposed data set includes IP addresses, email addresses, usernames, and passwords hashed using vBulletin's method.

Why the Abandonia Breach Is Still Worth Taking Seriously

vBulletin's password hashing can be cracked with modern hardware, and once cracked, those passwords are tied directly to real email addresses, usernames, and IP addresses. That combination gives attackers everything they need to attempt account takeovers on any other service where the same password was reused, even for a niche community site like Abandonia.

What Was Exposed in the Abandonia Breach

• IP addresses
• Email addresses
• Usernames
• Passwords (vBulletin hashed)

Why This Matters for Abandonia Users

Smaller, niche sites like Abandonia are exactly the kind of source attackers rely on to build large credential stuffing lists, since site operators often have fewer resources for security and users may not think to change a password tied to an old gaming account. If you signed up for Abandonia and reused that password anywhere else, your email, banking, or social media accounts could be exposed by this breach today.

How a vBulletin Forum Breach Happens

Sites running vBulletin, like Abandonia, have historically been targeted through unpatched software vulnerabilities or weak administrative credentials. Once attackers gain access, they export the full user database, including hashed passwords, emails, usernames, and IP logs, and distribute the stolen file through dark web forums and messaging channels. Data like this can circulate quietly for years before resurfacing, as happened here nearly a decade after the original breach.

Check If You Are Affected

With 45,463 records exposed, this breach still represents a meaningful pool of credentials that could be used in attacks today. HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your email address against a database of more than 400 billion leaked records, including this one, so you can find out in seconds whether your information was exposed and take steps to secure your accounts.