Search Your Email: The c4Forums Breach Exposed 13,080 Accounts

HEROIC analysts identified a breach connected to c4Forums, a US-based technology forum at c4forums.com, that exposed 13,080 user records. The breach dates back to November 10, 2015, and the exposed data set includes IP addresses, email addresses, usernames, and, for many accounts, passwords hashed using Invision Power Board's method.

Why the c4Forums Breach Is Worth Checking Right Now

Even where a password was not captured, the combination of email address, username, and IP address is enough for attackers to build a profile and attempt phishing or account recovery attacks. Where passwords were included, IPB hashes can be cracked with modern computing power, giving attackers a working login to test against other services.

What Was Exposed in the c4Forums Breach

• IP addresses
• Email addresses
• Usernames
• Passwords (IPB hashed, where available)

Why This Matters for c4Forums Members

If your account is one of the 13,080 exposed here, it is worth checking whether your email address has appeared in this or other breaches. Cracked passwords from breaches like this one are regularly tested against email, banking, and social media logins through credential stuffing, so a password reused from a 2015 forum account could still put a more important account at risk today.

How a Database Breach Like This Happens

A database breach like this one typically starts when attackers find a vulnerability in a website's forum software or server setup and use it to access the backend database directly. From there, they export the user records, including whatever passwords, emails, usernames, and IP logs are stored, and distribute the file through hacking forums or private channels. That data can then circulate quietly for years before resurfacing, as happened here roughly a decade after the original breach.

Check If You Are Affected

Search your email now to find out if you are one of the 13,080 people exposed in this breach. 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 and take action to protect your accounts.