Our Analysts Found the Anime-Kun Database Dump on Dark Web Forums

HEROIC analysts found the Anime-Kun database dump circulating on dark web forums that trade in older, aggregated breach data. Anime-Kun (anime-kun.net) is a French anime streaming and community site, and the breach dates back to April 1, 2016. It exposed 24,598 accounts, including email addresses, usernames, IP addresses, and passwords hashed with SHA-1.

Why the Anime-Kun Breach Is Dangerous

This leak pairs email addresses and usernames with passwords and IP addresses, which gives an attacker more to work with than a password alone. SHA-1 hashed passwords can be cracked with modern computing power, especially when they are short or common, turning a hash into a plain, usable password. Combined with an IP address, that data can help an attacker build a more convincing profile of a target or narrow down their general location.

What Was Exposed in the Anime-Kun Breach

• Email addresses
• Usernames
• IP addresses
• Passwords (SHA-1 hashed)
• Hash type information

Why This Matters for the 24,598 Accounts Involved

Even a breach at a niche anime community site can cause damage far beyond that site. People commonly reuse the same email and password on multiple accounts, so once an attacker cracks a password from this dump, they can attempt credential stuffing against email providers, shopping sites, and banks. That can lead to account takeover, identity theft, or financial fraud that has nothing to do with anime streaming.

How a Database Breach Like This Happens

A database breach happens when an attacker gains direct access to the backend storage where a website keeps its user records, rather than targeting people one at a time. This often comes from an unpatched vulnerability, a misconfigured server, or stolen administrator credentials. Once inside, the attacker can export the entire account table, including email addresses, usernames, IP logs, and password hashes, in a single move, which is why breaches like this can resurface as a complete dataset years after the fact.

Check If You Are Affected

If you ever created an account on Anime-Kun, or reused that password anywhere else, it is worth checking your exposure. HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your email against more than 400 billion leaked records, including this breach, so you can find out in seconds whether your information was exposed.