Babynames

We've been tracking a resurgence of older breaches appearing on various dark web forums, often re-packaged and sold as "new" leads. What caught our attention wasn't necessarily the volume, but the consistent presence of very old datasets alongside recent stealer logs. This suggests threat actors are actively mining historical breaches for credentials that may still be valid on less-protected platforms or reused across accounts. Among these resurfaced incidents, the 2008 Babynames breach stood out due to its unexpectedly large impact and the continued relevance of exposed credentials. The fact that hashes were cracked and reused after so long makes this breach notable.

The Babynames Breach: 845k Accounts Resurface After 15 Years

In October 2008, the website Babynames, a resource for parents seeking baby name suggestions, suffered a significant data breach. This incident, which compromised 845,945 user accounts, has recently resurfaced on multiple underground marketplaces. The data includes both email addresses and password hashes, specifically stored as salted MD5 hashes. The breach was acknowledged by Babynames in October 2018, a decade after the initial incident, with the company claiming affected users had been notified at the time. However, the re-emergence of this data suggests the potential for ongoing credential stuffing attacks and password reuse affecting a significant number of individuals.

The rediscovery of this breach highlights a critical issue: the longevity of exposed credentials. While Babynames claims to have notified users over 15 years ago, many individuals likely reused those passwords on other platforms. This makes the old data a valuable asset for attackers looking to compromise accounts through credential stuffing – a technique where leaked username/password pairs are systematically tested across various online services. The use of salted MD5 hashes, while standard practice in 2008, is now considered weak by modern standards. This makes cracking these passwords significantly easier with today's computing power.

Breach Stats:

Key point: Total records exposed: 845,945

Key point: Types of data included: Email Address, Password Hash (salted MD5)

Key point: Leak location(s): Resurfaced on multiple dark web forums and Telegram channels throughout 2023 and 2024

Key point: Date of original breach: October 24, 2008

External Context & Supporting Evidence:

The re-emergence of older breaches aligns with a broader trend observed by security researchers. A recent report by Have I Been Pwned highlighted the increasing prevalence of "legacy" breaches being traded and exploited years after the initial incident. This is often fueled by the automation of credential stuffing attacks and the availability of cracked password lists. The Babynames breach is a prime example of how seemingly outdated data can still pose a significant security risk, especially when combined with modern attack techniques.

Email · Address · Password · Hash